The Insurance Mom, brought to you by Alison Gordon Insurance Services, Inc, CA Lic. 0780178

Daylight Savings Time is here this weekend.   So before going to bed Saturday night be sure to move your clocks one hour ahead –  that is, if you still use clocks in addition to your Smart Phone, iPad, PC, Mac or sundial.

When you finally recover from that lost hour of sleep, you’ll have more daylight to get out and…

The Insurance Mom wants you to stay healthy!  When you stay healthy then you don’t have to go to the doctor, get all kinds of expensive tests and treatments and worry about the high deductible on your health insurance plan.

Here’s a great little article about how we can easily take care of ourselves.   And, with the new federal…

If you’re in California, then please sit up and pay attention ’cause this one’s for YOU!

The new federal “stealth” care reform laws specify that by 1/1/14, health insurance “exchanges” in every state must be implemented.  The exchanges will allegedly be designed as a health insurance online mall, giving consumers better tools to compare and buy individual health insurance plans.…

Some politicians would like to drive health insurance brokers out of business and replace them with distant government bureaucrats or, even worse, off shore customer (dis)service reps.   These critics claim that removing agents from the plan-choosing process would trim the administrative costs of insurance without significantly impacting ordinary consumers.   They’re wrong, wrong, wrong!

Although there is great deal…

The Insurance Mom loves her colleagues around the country… they are a very smart bunch!  Especially Ric Joyner, a benefits specialist in Madison, WI, who writes an excellent benefits blog.      If you value your hard-earned money, I really want you to take a few moments to read how health care reform will impact your life and your money.

The…

Please… sit up straight and pay attention class, elbows off the desks.   If you currently have an individual (not group) California health insurance plan with either Anthem Blue Cross OR Blue Shield, prepare for rate hikes heading our way October 1, 2010.

The rate hikes range from 14% to 20% with Anthem Blue Cross, and 19% to 29% for Blue…

The Insurance Mom says that everything is negotiable… including the cost of your medical care.   You wouldn’t think twice about negotiating with an car dealer or a CraigsList vendor, right?  Well, you can — and should — do the same with your doctors, labs and hospitals.  Saving money is a good thing!  The Insurance Mom wants you to fight for…

So you thought the new Health Care Reform law was on your side, didn’t you?  Ha.  Not so much.   There is nothing in the new law that will stop these unintended (but predictable) consequences.

A provision of the new “stealth” care reform law says that insurance companies must issue health insurance to children, regardless of their health status or history. …

The Insurance Mom wants you to stay pro-active about your preventive care (aka annual check-ups).    Besides keeping some yummy chicken soup handy, having annual check-ups will keep you well-informed about your lifestyle and future health care choices.

Something sort of good has actually been included in the federal government’s “stealth” care reform bill.    As of September 23, 2010, insurance companies…

It could be a matter of life and death.   If you are hospitalized here are 3 ways to make sure mistakes don’t happen:

1.   BE THERE! Stay with the patient at all times.  NEVER leave a hospitalized friend or family member alone.  Even if you have to hire a private duty nurse for night times.

2.  ASK QUESTIONS! Don’t worry…