Entries Tagged 'Insurance' ↓

Anyone who works in the non-profit sector knows all too well it can be lot of hard work with not a lot of financial reward. For those passionate about the arts, charities, education, or the environment, working within a non-profit organization can reward in other ways – like knowing that you have helped achieve worthwhile change. You should always remember your organization is first and foremost a business however. And as non-profit organizations can be extremely vulnerable financially, it’s vital to consider your business basics such as California business insurance.

One way to take some of the work out of the insurance runaround is to opt for a package policy. Package policies are generally available for small to medium sized businesses that meet certain criteria. Packages may be tailored for certain areas, such as non-profit organizations. And while they do vary between different providers, the most common insurance package of this type is called a Business Owner’s Policy, or BOP.

A BOP is designed to cover property, contents, liability and often a few other types of policies. You can save valuable time by putting all of these various insurance products in to one contract, and it can sometimes be more cost effective to do so.

Money is often tight in non-profit organizations, and should you be struck by a disaster such as a fire or major break-in, the effects could be devastating. To ensure you have the correct types and cover amounts within your business insurance it can be a good idea to enlist the assistance of a knowledgeable agent.

What’s in a word? Well, perhaps in this case, it’s the difference between insurance cover and no cover. Let’s start with the straightforward version which we might call a motor scooter. This is a two-wheeled, low-powered version of a motorbike and, despite very real safety concerns, their number has been growing steadily on our roads since we broke through the price barrier of $3 per gallon of gas. The reason is simple. It’s not difficult to get 60 or more miles to the gallon on a scooter. That’s rather better than the average vehicle. Add in the fact you will also save dramatic amounts on the auto insurance and it looks a good deal. The only problem is the number of accidents. Drivers seem to have great difficulty is actually seeing these nippy little things as they whizz in and out of traffic.

Changing the subject, you can’t avoid knowing we are facing an epidemic of obesity. Perhaps equally as serious is the increasing age of the population. As the boomers steadily pass the 60 mark, the average age is rising quite sharply. Those who work out these math sums tell us that, by 2025, there will be 66 million people aged 65 or more. Now let’s put together the picture by adding in the number of people who are born with disabilities or who are injured and therefore cannot walk around so easily. One of the things we pride ourselves on as Americans is our inventiveness. Knowing how many people might find it a challenge to move around the home or outside, there’s been a rush to develop scooters (for the record, the general term is an “electric mobility device”. They now come in a fairly standard four-wheel form, rather like a slimmed down golf cart and, in increasing numbers, you’re likely to see them on our roads and have to move out of their way on sidewalks and cycle paths.

The advantages of these machines are simple to list: you don’t need a license or registration to drive one, there are no rules requiring you to wear protective helmets, and they are very cheap to operate. All of which should suggest the key problem. Calling them scooters is not going to turn them into cars or bikes, and auto policies are not appropriate. Equally clear is the problem of dealing with them under the liability section of your home policy. Suppose a senior is distracted while riding down the sidewalk and crashes into a pedestrian. This is not the same as snow sliding off the roof and hospitalizing a passerby. For those who are interested in legal niceties, you also can’t be guilty of dui/dwi charges because you’re not actually driving. It’s an assisted form of walking. Continue reading →

This February 2011 has seen one of those milestones sneak quietly by without anyone really noticing. The Child Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIRPA) has been out there for two years, helping an increasing number of children to gain access to essential health coverage. To celebrate this small landmark, the US Department of Health and Human Services has just released a report detailing the extent of the progress made. Let’s be clear. The criteria for every child to get access to the benefits has always been clearly defined, but many states have found reasons to exclude them. In 2010, more than 2 million eligible children were finally enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP. This is a direct result of the incentives introduced by CHIRPA which reward states for reducing red tape and meeting targets for enrolling children from low-income families. What makes this improvement by states all the more remarkable is that it has been achieved at a time of budget deficits. It is pleasing politicians continue to see the welfare of children as a top priority for government spending.

Immigration has been one of the more controversial of political issues of the last decade. The failure of the Dream Act in the Senate this last December shows how difficult it is to provide a consistent and reasonable basis on which to give immigrants more rights. It therefore makes it all the more pleasing to see states improving their procedures to check citizenship status and expanding coverage to immigrant children and pregnant women who have lawful residence. There’s also strong progress to encourage community- and faith-based organizations to reach out to the disadvantaged both directly and through local health centers. The idea is to enroll as many of the eligible as possible.

As an example of best practice, the report picks out the work of the Children’s Defense Fund (Texas) and Fiesta Mart, a chain of neighborhood grocery stores, to hold sign-up sessions, helping people to complete the application forms in areas where there are high levels of poverty. There’s a similar liaison between the CDF and the Texas Association of School Administrators to help identify students who may be uninsured. For a state so close to the border and often caught up in the politics of immigration, it’s good to see Texas held up as a model of how to maximize the total number of people enrolled into Medicaid and CHIP. Continue reading →