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Amy Bowen Earns Accredited Adviser in Insurance Designation

Allen Insurance and Financial is pleased to announce that Amy Bowen, a commercial insurance account manager based in the company’s Belfast office, has earned an Accredited Adviser in Insurance designation from the American Institute for Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters.

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Amy Bowen


Designations such as AAI demonstrate an insurance broker’s tested knowledge in their field. Allen Insurance and Financial supports all its employees in their efforts to continue their education.
The AAI program requires nine separate exams; the course outlines risk analysis techniques and tools, while providing an in-depth understanding of commercial insurance products and services.

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4 Important Dates for Health Insurance

Open Enrollment is the time when you can find a new plan on the Health Insurance Marketplace, keep your current plan, or see if you can get help paying for coverage. If you want to make sure you’re covered in 2015, mark these 4 dates on your calendar:

  • Nov. 15, 2014. This is your first day to apply for, keep, or change your coverage.
  • Dec. 15, 2014. Enroll by the 15th if you want new coverage that begins on Jan. 1, 2015. If your plan is changing or you want to change plans, enroll by Dec. 15 to avoid a lapse in coverage.
  • Dec. 31, 2014. The day all 2014 Marketplace coverage ends, no matter when you enrolled. Coverage for 2015 plans can start as soon as Jan. 1.
  • Feb. 15, 2015. The last day you can enroll in 2015 coverage before the end of Open Enrollment.

We’re here to help. At no additional cost. Call 855-701-5700 today to make an appointment with a member of our health insurance team.
 

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Medicare Open Enrollment: The Ideal Time to Shop for New Coverage

Medicare open enrollment this year starts Oct. 15 and ends Dec. 7.  Even if you’re happy with your current plan, open enrollment is the ideal time to make sure the plan you’re enrolled in is really the right plan for your needs.
Insurance plans unveil new pricing and benefits during open enrollment; it’s best not to assume that drug coverage and other co-payments will remain the same during the new plan year.
Medicare beneficiaries have the right to change their health and drug coverage without restriction during open enrollment.
Anna Moorman, Allen Insurance and Financial’s Medicare Specialist, is based at our office at 31 Chestnut Street in Camden. She can be reached at 236-4311.
 
 
 
 

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Healthcare.gov Gets an Overhaul

We’re reading about the updates being made to the Health Insurance Marketplace, healthcare.gov.
The NYTimes is reporting that according to an internal memo at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the federal health insurance marketplace website will have a  “new look and feel” and will provide “a shorter, smoother, simpler user experience.”
Most consumers will be able to user an updated (and shorter) application, the DHHS says.
Open enrollment for insurance under the Affordable Care Act opens Nov. 15 and closes Feb. 15, 2015.
Allen Insurance and Financial has a special toll-free phone number to direct health insurance inquiries directly to our health insurance team: (855) 710-5700. We’re here to help, at no additional cost to the consumer.
Find more information at our Affordable Care Act Resource Center. 
 
 
 
 
 

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Supporting the Rockland Harbor YMCA

The Penobscot Bay YMCA has received a donation from Allen Insurance and Financial for the Rockland Harbor YMCA, a branch of the Penobscot Bay YMCA.

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From left: Dan Bookham, Director of Business Development at Allen Insurance and Financial and a Penobscot Bay YMCA Board Member, Michael Pierce, President of Allen Insurance and Financial, Troy Curtis, Penobscot Bay YMCA Executive Director and Leslie Eaton, Penobscot Bay YMCA Board President.


“We are very pleased to help the Y expand its reach,” said Michael Pierce, President of Allen Insurance and Financial. “We know our employees in Rockland are among the many people in the Rockland area who are happy to have access to the Y’s activities closer to where they live and work.”
The Rockland Harbor YMCA is scheduled to open in November and will have approximately 8,000 square feet of space in what was formerly occupied by Amalfi Restaurant at 12 Water St.  Services will include a state-of-the-art fitness center, indoor and outdoor exercise studios and a childcare center to serve families with infants through preschoolers (with space for 38 children). Popular programs such as Group Power, Group Active, Senior Strength, TRX, among others, will be offered.
In addition, more than 25 pieces of fitness equipment overlooking Rockland Harbor will be available for members to use at their convenience. While a Y membership or day fee will be required to use the facility, that same membership will provide an individual access to both the new Rockland Branch and the existing Rockport facility and all its offerings.
“The Penobscot Bay YMCA is excited about the opportunity to meet the needs of a growing business community that needs both quality child care options and a healthy workforce,” said Troy Curtis, the Y’s executive director.  “It is partnerships with companies like Allen Insurance and Financial that are making this exciting expansion possible.”
For more information contact the Y at 235.3375 or online at penbayymca.org.
 
 

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WorkBoat Column: Your Insurance To-Do List

This month, Gene McKeever offers a glimpse into some typical conversations with boat or marina operators.
Among them:

• When you talk with your crew or employees about safety it’s not a money thing. It’s a safety thing. Stress that you want them to stay healthy and injury free.

• Each time there is a problem that creates a dangerous situation investigate it as fact finding, not fault finding. The investigation will garner much more usable information to help prevent something from happening again.

See more at WorkBoat.com 

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Whether Host or Renter, Airbnb Insurance Questions Need Answers

Whether you’ve listed a room on Airbnb or you’ve taken on a boarder for extra income, consulting with your insurance agent about what’s covered under your homeowners insurance policy (and what’s not covered) is always a good idea.
You may screen your tenants carefully, but it’s truly impossible to know whether a guest could steal, damage or vandalize a your property. In addition, an injury on your property could lead to a guest claiming negligence, even if you were not at fault.
This article at PropertyCasualty360.com outlines additional points for both hosts and guests/renters.
If you have questions, we’re here to answer them.
 
 

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Maine Community Health Options to Issue New ID Cards

Maine Community Health Options, the leading insurer serving Maine people under the Affordable Care Act, announced Wednesday, Aug. 20 that they are issuing all members new ID cards as part of a transition to a new ID card vendor.
MCHO says the new vendor will mean faster turnaround times for members.
Here is an image of the new cards:
MCHOLetterwithcards_04182014
Anyone with questions can contact Anna Moorman at Allen Insurance and Financial.

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We are A Best Place to Work in Maine

Allen Insurance and Financial was recently named one of the 2014 Best Places to Work in Maine. This is the third consecutive year Allen has earned this distinction.
The awards program was created in 2006 and is a project of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) – Maine State Council and Best Companies Group. Partners endorsing the program include: Mainebiz, the Maine State Chamber of Commerce and Maine HR Convention.
This statewide survey and awards program was designed to identify, recognize and honor the best places of employment in Maine, benefiting the state’s economy, its workforce and businesses. The 2014 Best Places to Work in Maine list is made up of 70 companies in three size categories: small (15-49 U.S. employees), medium (50-249 U.S. employees) and large (250+ U.S. employees).
Allen’s 70 employees puts us in the medium category.   Here is a link to the complete list. 
To be considered for participation, companies had to fulfill the following eligibility requirements:

  • Have at least 15 employees working in Maine;
  • Be a for-profit or not-for-profit business or government entity;
  • Be a publicly or privately held business;
  • Have a facility in the state of Maine
  • Must be in business a minimum of 1 year.

Companies from across the state entered the two-part process to determine the Best Places to Work in Maine. The first part consisted of evaluating each nominated company’s workplace policies, practices, and demographics. This part of the process was worth approximately 25% of the total evaluation.
The second part consisted of an employee survey to measure the employee experience. This part of the process was worth approximately 75% of the total evaluation. The combined scores determined the top companies and the final rankings.
Best Companies Group managed the overall registration and survey process in Maine and also analyzed the data and used their expertise to determine the final rankings.
Allen Insurance and Financial and the other companies on the list will be recognized and honored at the Best Places to Work in Maine awards ceremony on Oct. 8 and will be profiled in a special publication by Mainebiz. The final rankings will be announced at the event.
For more information on the Best Places to Work in Maine program, visit BestPlacestoWorkinME.com

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