Bicycle Safety - For Adults & Children!

Warmer weather is finally here! Adults and children alike enjoy bicycle riding when the sun is shining, so here are some tips to keep safe, while still having fun!

ü       Wear a helmet.

o        Choose one that meets the Consumer Product Safety Commission standards.

o        Make sure it fits properly.  It should cover the rider’s forehead and should always be fastened.

o        Don’t throw the helmet; this could damage the integrity of the product.

ü       Make sure the bicycle ‘fits’ the rider.

o        The rider should straddle the top bar; both feet flat on the ground.

o        There should be 1-2 inches between the top bar and the rider for a road bike, and 3-4 inches for a mountain bike.

ü       Perform regular maintenance.

o        Check tires for air and tire pressure.

o        Test brakes to make sure they are working properly.

o        Be sure wheels, seat and handlebars fit tightly.

o        Inspect the chain for damage, and oil regularly.

ü       Stand out.

o        Wear bright colored clothing.

o        Place reflectors on the bicycle and reflective stickers on the helmet.

o        Avoid riding at night if at all possible; if it can’t be avoided, wear light-colored clothing and affix a bicycle light and reflectors to the bicycle.

ü       Listen up.

o        Avoid headphones; music can prevent riders from hearing noises in their surroundings.

ü       Dress smart.

o        Avoid loose-fitting clothing, long backpack straps and long shoelaces that can get caught in the chain, and cause injury.

o        Wear shoes that cover the foot; never ride barefoot or in sandals or flip-flops.  Shoe soles should grip the bicycle pedals.

ü       Be aware.

o        Look for cars and other motorists.

o        Follow traffic regulations and learn appropriate hand signals.

o        Avoid riding into puddles and leaves, and over grates or gravel.

o        Look out for other bicyclists, pedestrians, and children playing in the area.

o        Learn the laws in your local jurisdiction for rules specific to your area.  Or for more safety information check with the National Highway Safety Administration at www.nhtsa.dot.gov.

CELEBRATE MEMORIAL DAY WITH US!!

Swing on by our office during the Memorial Day Parade on Post Road for FREE coffee, cookies and balloons as we celebrate our country and the heroes who fight for it!

Take a look at some of the excitement from last year's festivities!





All set up and ready to go! 









Phew!



Gov. Malloy Talks Mental Health Claims

Malloy Announces Plan to Reduce Insurance Denials

for Mental Health Services

The Connecticut Insurance Department and the UConn Health Center are collaborating to help families struggling to get mental health treatment paid through their insurance, according to Gov. Dannel Malloy.

Malloy said the department and the health center are developing a “user-friendly ‘claims tool kit’” for policyholders and providers, including out-of-network providers who operate on cash basis.

The goal, according to a news release from Malloy’s office, is to reduce the number of insurance denials.

“No one should have to overcome mountains of red tape when they are trying to access mental health services,” Malloy said. “This collaboration allows us to leverage the respective expertise of the Insurance Department and the UConn Health Center to put in place a common-sense approach to what can be a profoundly frustrating process. I commend the Insurance Department and the Health Center for their commitment to improving mental health care access for residents.”

Access to mental health services is part of the governor’s multi-prong plan to reduce gun violence in response to the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown in December.

“It’s been the Department’s observations that incomplete or incorrect information, coding errors, and other documentation issues are often the cause of claims denials requiring multiple appeals. We don’t want families having to fight to get the care they need,” Deputy Insurance Commissioner Anne Melissa Dowling, who oversees the Department’s health insurance initiatives, said.

Malloy said the claims tool kit, which should be complete this summer, is the first in a series of behavioral health projects the Insurance Department and Health Center are undertaking to assist consumers and providers.

The smartest homeowner's insurance move: a $100,000 deductible

Did you know you can shave hundreds of dollars off your annual homeowner's insurance bill by increasing your deductible? We don't just mean going from $500 to $1,000. Think big. $2,500. Already have a $2,500 deductible? Then think bigger. $5,000. $10,000. Or really big. Like $100,000.

"We have clients with deductibles of $100,000 fairly routinely on $5 million homes," says Mary Boyd, senior vice president and chief operating officer for ACE Private Risk Services. Some ACE clients with multiple homes and a "significant" net worth have deductibles in the millions of dollars, she says. What do they know that you don't?

When you choose a deductible, you're picking a number you're willing to spend out of pocket if you suffer a loss. It should certainly cover what you think of as run-of-the-mill outlays (when calling the insurer would be more of a hassle than writing a check to the repairman). But if you're comfortable with laying out even more at the time of a loss, over time you can really save money on premiums.

Choosing a low deductible is "a characteristic mistake," says Jack M. Guttentag, a professor emeritus at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania who runs MortgageProfessor.com. "What you want is coverage for the risks that you can't pay for yourself," he says. (A pine tree bisects your living room; a major electrical fire takes out your gourmet kitchen.) Pick the number you're willing to spend out of pocket based on your resources -- how much income you have coming in and how much money you have in the bank.

How much might you save with a bigger deductible? On a house insured for $1 million with a $2,500 deductible, a homeowner could save $1,000 a year by going to a $10,000 deductible at ACE (the premium and savings will vary depending on the house's location and other factors). Since the homes ACE insures typically suffer a loss about once every 20 years, this is a very good bet, says Boyd.

Ted Mitchell, a senior public relations specialist with MetLife Auto & Home says MetLife has seen a trend toward consumers choosing higher deductibles in recent years. While a typical homeowner's insurance policy deductible is $500 or $1,000, MetLife offers flat dollar deductibles of up to $10,000 (except in Texas which has percentage deductibles). But you don't have to go to the max for the savings to kick in. In one example, on a coastal Virginia house insured by MetLife for $1 million with a $1,000 deductible, a homeowner could save $300 a year by going to a $2,500 deductible or $600 a year by going to a $5,000 deductible.

To help minimize the chance (and severity) of a loss and your out-of-pocket tab for a high deductible, Boyd says homeowners should install the usual burglar and fire alarms but also consider installing more high-tech safety measures such as automatic leak detectors, battery backup systems for sump pumps, and lightning protection systems. You get additional credits on your premium for these efforts.

Your agent might use the savings opportunity to sell you other insurance, and that can make sense and still put you ahead of where you were before making the deductible changes. What if you have expensive jewelry? The ACE homeowner's policy covers up to $10,000 in jewelry with a maximum of $5,000 for a single item -- subject to your deductible. That means if you chose a $10,000 deductible and lost a bracelet and earrings worth $10,000, there would be no reimbursement. So you might want to consider insuring jewelry (and fine arts or other collectibles) under a valuables policy as an add-on to your homeowner's policy. With a valuable policy, no deductible applies in the event of a loss.