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Kevin Gallegos's picture

How to save on health care expenses

Kevin Gallegos
Vice President of Phoenix Operations
Melanie Fowler's picture

Advice for obtaining insurance coverage for kids with special needs

Melanie Fowler
M.S., Special Education Educational Diagnostician Founder The Reach Academy of Fort Worth
Frank Darras's picture

Protect your stay at home spouse with critical illness insurance

Frank Darras
Founding Partner and Disability Lawyer
Frank Darras's picture

Insurance coverage you need to protect your teenage children

Frank Darras
Founding Partner and Disability Lawyer
Frank Darras's picture

Advice to recent college graduates on buying necessary insurance

Frank Darras
Founding Partner and Disability Lawyer
Matthew Owenby's picture

Understand the financial benefits of voluntary insurance

Matthew Owenby
Vice President, Human Resources
Frank Darras's picture

Determine your need to buy a long-term care insurance policy

Frank Darras
Founding Partner and Disability Lawyer
Frank Darras's picture

Think ahead when purchasing a long-term care insurance policy

Frank Darras
Founding Partner and Disability Lawyer
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Health Insurance

Health insurance is easily one of the hottest topics of the last few years. With its many facets—private insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, Obamacare, supplemental health insurance, disability income insurance, long-term care coverage, and flexible spending accounts (FSA), just to name a few—the topic can seem overwhelming. At ExpertBeacon, our experts uncover these important health insurance topics providing practical and actionable advice.

How to save on health care expenses

Kevin Gallegos Vice President of Phoenix Operations Freedom Financial Network

While the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has helped millions of Americans obtain medical insurance, the stark reality is that health care costs continue to rise, and consumers continue to struggle with the costs. Medical debt remains a leading cause of bankruptcy filings, and a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) survey found that more than one in five Americans struggle to pay medical bills. 

To help keep health care costs in check, review these dos and don’ts.

Kevin Gallegos Vice President of Phoenix Operations

Kevin has worked with Freedom Financial Network since 2005. Before that time, he held the position of enrollment sales supervisor for Nationwide Financial Solutions in Tempe, Ariz. Kevin also has worked as a business analyst and customer service...

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Protect your stay at home spouse with critical illness insurance

Frank Darras Founding Partner and Disability Lawyer DarrasLaw, America’s Top Disability Firm

Stay-at-home parents are often under-appreciated for what they do day after day. Many may not even realize what their responsibilities are worth and how they need to protect themselves against a major illness. The risk of an American suffering from a critical illness in their lifetime is high, meaning families need to look at options for stay-at-home spouses, including proper insurance policies and enough coverage, should they not be able to perform their important duties.

Frank DarrasFounding Partner and Disability Lawyer

Frank N. Darras made a decision nearly a quarter century ago that would affect tens of thousands of Americans. Darras took the road less traveled to help the sick, disabled, and elderly mount a heroic fight against billion-dollar insurance compa...

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Advice to recent college graduates on buying necessary insurance

Frank Darras Founding Partner and Disability Lawyer DarrasLaw, America’s Top Disability Firm

Be careful how much you spend on insurance by purchasing the coverage that matters. By protecting what you have now and what you will have in the future, you can ease your financial burden. Even though you may have just graduated and are saving money while you look for a perfect job, there are certain things you can do to help save you money now or in the future. Here are some valuable tips to get graduates started on the right path.

Frank DarrasFounding Partner and Disability Lawyer

Frank N. Darras made a decision nearly a quarter century ago that would affect tens of thousands of Americans. Darras took the road less traveled to help the sick, disabled, and elderly mount a heroic fight against billion-dollar insurance compa...

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How to mitigate and avoid the denial of a health insurance claim

High healthcare costs have become a major concern for consumers and insurance companies alike, with many insurers regularly contesting or denying policy payouts involving a variety of health care claims. Problems can sometimes be avoided by taking the right steps. This article highlights some of the most commonly contested health care claims, and what customers can do to help mitigate or avoid the related problems that often emerge.

Bruce SmithAttorney

Attorney Bruce A. Smith of Ward & Smith in Longview, Texas, represents individuals and businesses in a wide variety of insurance policy claims, including cases when payments have been denied in bad faith for health, homeowner, life and ca...

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Determine your need to buy a long-term care insurance policy

Frank Darras Founding Partner and Disability Lawyer DarrasLaw, America’s Top Disability Firm

With people living longer lives, the need for long-term care has been steadily increasing. There are so many ups and downs, that most consumers are confused and don’t know where to start looking. The best bet is to determine your need for long-term care insurance by evaluating several key factors in your life. Get in touch with a knowledgeable long-term care expert to guide you through the process.

Frank DarrasFounding Partner and Disability Lawyer

Frank N. Darras made a decision nearly a quarter century ago that would affect tens of thousands of Americans. Darras took the road less traveled to help the sick, disabled, and elderly mount a heroic fight against billion-dollar insurance compa...

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Protect your family's financial security with the right insurance

Frank Darras Founding Partner and Disability Lawyer DarrasLaw, America’s Top Disability Firm

Most Americans have one insurance policy or another so they may be familiar with the benefits they offer. This is the time of year when everyone should refresh not only their home, but also their knowledge about important insurance policies to protect their financial future. Here’s some information to get you started down the path to financial security with insurance.

Frank DarrasFounding Partner and Disability Lawyer

Frank N. Darras made a decision nearly a quarter century ago that would affect tens of thousands of Americans. Darras took the road less traveled to help the sick, disabled, and elderly mount a heroic fight against billion-dollar insurance compa...

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Health and disability insurance can protect you when playing baseball

Frank Darras Founding Partner and Disability Lawyer DarrasLaw, America’s Top Disability Firm

While baseball is not considered as rough a sport full of physical contact like football, baseball players still see their fair share of injuries. Catchers often suffer from concussions while pitchers experience elbow injuries on a regular basis. Baseball players need to protect themselves as well as their income from injuries, which may require them to be on the disabled list for extended amounts of time. Disability insurance is there to protect players during the harsh reality of significant sports injuries.

Frank DarrasFounding Partner and Disability Lawyer

Frank N. Darras made a decision nearly a quarter century ago that would affect tens of thousands of Americans. Darras took the road less traveled to help the sick, disabled, and elderly mount a heroic fight against billion-dollar insurance compa...

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Plan ahead for Alzheimer's and obtain long-term health insurance

Frank Darras Founding Partner and Disability Lawyer DarrasLaw, America’s Top Disability Firm

The baby boomer generation is reaching a point where medical issues begin to mount as they reach retirement age. What do these baby boomers need to do now to ensure their financial safety in case of a debilitating problem such as Alzheimer’s? Whether it’s you or someone close to you, protecting against the perils of Alzheimer’s has become necessity, as there is no cure. Here is some advice to help steer you in the right direction.

Frank DarrasFounding Partner and Disability Lawyer

Frank N. Darras made a decision nearly a quarter century ago that would affect tens of thousands of Americans. Darras took the road less traveled to help the sick, disabled, and elderly mount a heroic fight against billion-dollar insurance compa...

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Recent college grads should understand their health care options

Frank Darras Founding Partner and Disability Lawyer DarrasLaw, America’s Top Disability Firm

You’ve just graduated college…taken your last exams, thrown up your cap, and have that pretty diploma in hand. Hopefully, you’ve landed a job and even better that job has benefits. But what if it doesn’t? Or what if you have other plans after finishing your undergraduate degree? Health insurance is still important and recent college graduates should know their options. Here is some expert advice that will help you navigate health insurance after graduating college.

Frank DarrasFounding Partner and Disability Lawyer

Frank N. Darras made a decision nearly a quarter century ago that would affect tens of thousands of Americans. Darras took the road less traveled to help the sick, disabled, and elderly mount a heroic fight against billion-dollar insurance compa...

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Long term care insurance ensures you're covered for medical costs

Wendy Boglioli National spokesperson for Genworth Financial Inc., an Olympic Gold Medalist and a long term care adv Genworth Financial, Inc. (NYSE: GNW)

Purchasing a long term care insurance policy can be a daunting experience. It’s the biggest expense our nation’s aging population faces, especially as the cost of care continues to rise each year. There are many challenges that come with the cost of care as expenses related to long term care rise.

Wendy BoglioliNational spokesperson for Genworth Financial Inc., an Olympic Gold Medalist and a long term care adv

Wendy Boglioli brings thirty years of speaking experience to her role as Genworth’s national spokesperson. Widely recognized for her world and Olympic record-setting accomplishments in swimming, Wendy has been regularly featured in various me...

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Buy travel medical insurance for a safe study-abroad experience

If you are a student and plan on studying abroad it can be a very exciting endeavor full of new experiences and challenges. With that in mind some of the more important aspects of trip planning may go unnoticed, such as securing yourself some very important travel medical insurance for international students. Actually, most student visas and educational institutions require that visiting students from abroad be covered by a comprehensive medical insurance policy. Following are some do’s and don’ts to keep in mind when purchasing your plan.

Marc D. LewandowskiIndependent Life Insurance Broker

Marc D. Lewandowski has been Life & Health insurance licensed for over 10 years with experience consulting clients on product options regarding Life, Health, Disability, Long-Term Care as well as Medicare Advantage plans. Marc Lewandowski gra...

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Considering a Flexible Spending Account (FSA)?

Jeffrey Ingalls President, Stratford Financial Group, Inc.; Stratford Employer Services, LLC

A Flexible Spending Account (FSA) is a tax favored benefit that is often misunderstood and underutilized by healthcare consumers. Simply put, participants are granted the ability to use a pre-selected amount of pre-tax (gross pay) dollars to pay for a wide variety of qualified expenses.

Jeffrey IngallsPresident, Stratford Financial Group, Inc.; Stratford Employer Services, LLC

Jeffrey Ingalls is the President of The Stratford Financial Group and Stratford Employer Services located in Wayne, NJ. His published works include “Stop Buying Health Plans and Start Buying Health Insurance” authored in 2007 and “Healthcare R...

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Purchasing travel medical insurance

There is lots of excitement involved in planning a vacation. Your mind is consumed with imagining all that you might see and do. Even the more mundane aspects of trip planning are probably at the forefront of your thoughts. What airline will I fly with? How long will I be out of town? Who will water the plants and watch the dog? All of these questions are important, but there is one you should consider that often goes unasked: What will I do if I am injured or become ill during my vacation?

Shelby WaltonHCC Medical Insurance Services Employee

Shelby Walton is an employee of HCC Medical Insurance Service, a provider of international travel medical insurance. In her role, she is responsible for creating content for a community of over 40,000 travelers on Facebook....

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Selecting disability income insurance

Disability income insurance provides you with compensation to replace your income in the event sickness or injury prohibits you from being able to perform the major duties of your occupation.

While it is common for most people to insure their lives and material assets such as their homes, cars and valuables, many undervalue their option to sufficiently protect their most valuable asset: their ability to earn an income.

Leonard P. Raskin, MSFS, CFP, ChFC, CLU, CAP, CASL, AEPPresident & CEO, Raskin Global

Helping people design Smart Strategies for their Whole Life is the mission of Raskin Global. The core principle of his practice – to provide people with economically sound strategic financial advice; to serve as the advocate of their financial ...

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Advice for obtaining insurance coverage for kids with special needs

Melanie Fowler M.S., Special Education Educational Diagnostician Founder The Reach Academy of Fort Worth The Fowler 4 Group

The cost of raising a child with special needs can vary dramatically depending on the disability and severity. Many families turn to second mortgages, credit cards and raid their retirement funds to find the money wherever they can.

Can you get your health insurance to cover the costs of special needs therapy? The chances are better than you might think. The advice below may save you thousands of dollars a year and help you get the coverage your child needs.

Melanie Fowler M.S., Special Education Educational Diagnostician Founder The Reach Academy of Fort Worth

Melanie Fowler earned a Bachelor’s degree in Speech Language Pathology from Louisiana State University and a Master’s degree in Special Education from Texas Woman’s University. During graduate school, she also completed her Educational Diagnosti...

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Insurance coverage you need to protect your teenage children

Frank Darras Founding Partner and Disability Lawyer DarrasLaw, America’s Top Disability Firm

No matter the age, from youth to graduate students, everyone needs certain insurance to stay protected in times of need. From playground disasters resulting in a trip to the emergency room to a college party resulting in damage to a rental property, parents will need to be prepared for everything. Here are some insurance necessities to keep your family safe in challenging circumstances during the school year.

Frank DarrasFounding Partner and Disability Lawyer

Frank N. Darras made a decision nearly a quarter century ago that would affect tens of thousands of Americans. Darras took the road less traveled to help the sick, disabled, and elderly mount a heroic fight against billion-dollar insurance compa...

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Understand the financial benefits of voluntary insurance

Are you rolling the dice on your health? Do you think a serious accident, injury or illness won’t happen to you? Or maybe, like many others, you just haven’t thought about it. Anyone can experience a significant medical event in an instant: an automobile accident, a major sports injury, or a diagnosis of a chronic illness, just to name a few. It could happen, but many people aren’t prepared for the financial ramifications of living without a paycheck, or underestimate the high out-of-pocket costs that accompany such an event.

Matthew OwenbyVice President, Human Resources

Matthew Owenby has 15 years of experience in the financial services/HR industry and is Aflac’s vice president of Human Resources. He is responsible for the strategy and implementation of all aspects of human resource management for Aflac’s mo...

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How to apply and receive veteran's benefits and services

Heather Ansley Vice President VetsFirst, a program of United Spinal Association

Veterans are often eligible for benefits and services from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) as a result of their military service. For some veterans and their families, figuring out how to apply for and receive these benefits can be a frustrating process. Knowing where to turn for advice can help veterans avoid problems in seeking the benefits they have earned and deserve. Veterans and their families should also consider services available to them from their state and local nonprofit organizations.

Heather AnsleyVice President

Heather L. Ansley is the Vice President of VetsFirst, which is a program of United Spinal Association. Ms. Ansley began her tenure with the organization in December 2009. Her responsibilities include managing the public policy advocacy, vete...

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Think ahead when purchasing a long-term care insurance policy

Frank Darras Founding Partner and Disability Lawyer DarrasLaw, America’s Top Disability Firm

Long-term care (LTC) has become an increasingly expensive proposition in the United States. With the baby boomer generation hitting retirement, the majority will face challenges they may not be fully equipped to deal with. Now may be the time to explore long-term care insurance policy options. There are many details that play an important role in these policies so when working with an expert to decide what your policy should entail, keep the following factors in mind.

Frank DarrasFounding Partner and Disability Lawyer

Frank N. Darras made a decision nearly a quarter century ago that would affect tens of thousands of Americans. Darras took the road less traveled to help the sick, disabled, and elderly mount a heroic fight against billion-dollar insurance compa...

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How to get the right health insurance coverage for you and your family

The Affordable Care Act now requires most Americans to have health insurance or else pay a tax penalty. It also makes government subsidies available to consumers earning less than 400% of the Federal Poverty Level. What it doesn’t do, however, is effectively reduce the cost of medical care and health insurance today.

Carrie McLeanDirector, Customer Service, Retention

Carrie is responsible for the implementation of eHealth's ongoing Customer Care Center training and support programs. She has nearly 15 years of experience managing and training customer support teams, at eHealth and Harley Davidson Motorcycles....

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Advice for women on getting long-term care insurance

When it’s time for you to get long-term care insurance, who do you turn to? Having a long-term care insurance plan is a solution worth looking into for women when planning out their finances for their future, especially if their significant other is older. It is important to know what type of coverage to look for, and hiring a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ can works wonders in ensuring that you get the most for your money. Here is some advice to help.

Laura R. Knolle, MS, CFP®Vice President

Laura R. Knolle, MS, CFP® is a Vice President with EP Wealth Advisors. In her role with the firm, she specializes in working with clients to bring together all the pieces of their financial lives. Her expertise includes every aspect of financial...

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Prepare for higher medical costs during senior and retirement years

No matter what your politics, the Affordable Care Act will fundamentally change how we buy and pay for healthcare. Whether you have Medicare or are in that gray area between retirement and Medicare, one thing is certain. To be able to afford your healthcare you will pay more out of pocket. Is there any way to prepare so you can age with quality and not in crisis? Yes, but it takes some planning and determination.

Anthony Cirillo, FACHEPresident

There are almost 40 million people aged 65+ in the United States. America’s 50 and older population will reach 100 million this year. Anthony Cirillo is a passionate advocate for these caregivers and seniors, helping them lead a quality life thr...

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Know how to navigate the Affordable Care Act to get the best coverage

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) represents a tidal shift in the U.S. healthcare system, bringing with it confusion and legitimate concerns for many Americans. Everyone wants access to safe and affordable healthcare for themselves and their families but, for many, access to quality care has been elusive, and catastrophic medical bills have triggered bankruptcy.

Robert Oscar, R.Ph.President and CEO

Robert Oscar, R.Ph., has more than 25 years of experience in healthcare. Throughout much of his career, Oscar has developed and implemented successful programs to effectively manage pharmacy benefit risk including pioneering work in the Medicare...

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Best pet insurance policy to protect your cat or dog and budget

Every pet parent hopes that their pet’s path to a healthy life will be smooth, but the reality is, you can’t always see the bumps in the road. In fact, one in three pets will require unexpected veterinary care each year, and every six seconds, a pet parent is faced with a vet bill for more than $1,000. Pet insurance can help keep your budget intact when you’re faced with big bills - but how do you choose the right plan for your furry family? The following advice can help your family find the perfect pet insurance fit.

Chris AshtonCo-Founder and Co-CEO

As Co-Founder and Co-CEO of one of the fastest-growing pet insurance providers in the country, Chris Ashton is no stranger to competition. Holding an MBA from The Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, Chris completed t...

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No longer covered by your parents’ health insurance?

Throw away your traditional notion of health insurance and start thinking like a savvy health care consumer. With the passage of the Affordable Care Act, Americans received consumer protections most know very little about. With limited exceptions, all preventative care is covered 100% before deductibles and with no co-pays. Emergency room visits outside of your home state may no longer be out-of-network expenses.

Katherine WoodfieldInsurance Education Advocate

With 20 years of experience working in big pharma, with the majority of that time spent in medical oncology, I learned a lot about how medical claims were paid. After the death of my children’s father, I took my knowledge about insurance and bec...

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Dealing with a family member's long-term care insurance

Kris Miller Author, “Ready For PREtirement”; Estate Planning and Living Trust Expert; National Speaker

It is any person’s dream to live his retirement years in comfort and peace. But with the economic crisis we’re facing right now, purchasing long-term care insurance seems to be a bit of a challenge. To help you deal with this task, here are a few doable tips that may prove to be valuable. 

Kris MillerAuthor, “Ready For PREtirement”; Estate Planning and Living Trust Expert; National Speaker

Kris Miller, a retirement and living trust expert, has advised over 5,000 families in the past 20 years on retirement and estate planning issues. She coined the phrase, “pretirement” to emphasize how we need to prepare for our Golden Years way b...

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Why you need travel insurance for your trip

When you book a prepaid tour package, such as a vacation cruise, you should seriously consider getting travel insurance to guarantee the cost of your trip. Any one of a number of things can happen before, and even after you board the ship that could ruin your vacation. And since the trip is prepaid, you want to be insured to make sure you get your money back if you have to cancel or your trip is interrupted.

Dan SkilkenFounder and CEO, TripInsurance.com

Dan Skilken is President and CEO of TripInsurance.com, the online source for comprehensive, comprehensible, and affordable travel insurance. A licensed insurance producer in all 50 states, Dan is an expert in the unique aspects of travel insuran...

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Manage your health savings account

Every year, more and more people become eligible to open Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) as a result of enrolling in High Deductible Health Plans (HDHPs). HDHPs trade-off lower upfront premiums for higher deductibles, enabling people to reduce their upfront health insurance costs. HSAs are bank accounts containing pre-tax money that can be used to pay for medical expenses, or in some cases, used towards retirement. As a result of their multi-purpose nature, managing an HSA may be more complex than it initially appears.

Adam C. Powell, Ph.DPresident, Payer+Provider Syndicate

Adam C. Powell, Ph.D., is a healthcare economist and is President of Payer+Provider Syndicate, a health insurance and hospital consulting firm. Dr. Powell was trained in healthcare management and economics at The Wharton School of the University...

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