 Now that the weather is perfect for taking your motorcycle out for a ride into the sunset, it's time that we go over the importance of having proper insurance coverage for your bike and what you should be expecting from your insurance policy!
Hello readers and insurance plan holders! Welcome to the Abri Insurance Blog! We are a full-service, independent insurance agency that represents you, the client, and not the insurance company. With each and every policy under one roof, we customize the perfect insurance package for you while striving to deliver the highest level of customer service. While the weather has been outstanding and is now the perfect time to take out your number one road warrior, your motorcycle, it is still extremely important to have the proper coverage you need to stay as safe as possible no matter what! If you are like most bikers, the idea of losing your bike sends you into a panic. We can customize your coverage so that it covers everything from a full replacement on your bike to medical payments when you get into an accident. Today, we are going to be diving into everything you need to know about motorcycle insurance so you can stay ahead of whatever might be coming your way so you will always be prepared! The fact is, no matter how you might feel on the open road or the fact that you are an excellent driver, you need motorcycle insurance. Minimum liability just isn't enough. While it is an extra expense that you don't use until you need it, when that time comes you will really need it! Like we usually mention when it comes to insurance, while it might be hard to spend money on insurance and not get anything directly out of it right away, if you don't have it when you end up needing it, it will cost you even more in the long run! Also, don't forget, almost every state requires minimum liability coverage just to register your motorcycle. While minimum liability coverage is a great first step, it only covers the other person involved when you've caused an accident. What about you and your bike after an accident? Regardless of who caused the accident, you both might need patching up and you could be looking at thousands of dollars to do so! Make sure you're getting coverage to insure your body's overall safety and wellness, the safety and wellness of your bike, and anyone else who might be involved in an accident. Remember, this is still a vehicle just like your car. If you would insure our car, why wouldn't you also insure your motorcycle? As we've mentioned, your state will most likely require you to have liability insurance coverage for your bike. Our biggest recommendation when in the market for motorcycle insurance in the Charleston area is to sit down with us at Abri or with your insurance agent and talk about what your options are. First, consider buying a policy above the minimum requirement and check with us if your coverage includes coverage for your bodily injury and injury done to your passengers. Also, make sure you have all the proper coverage for your state! Florida requires you to carry a minimum of $10,000 in medical benefits while other states require you to carry uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. Please check with us if your preferred policy checks all the boxes needed for the state of South Carolina! The good news is if you're pretty familiar with standard auto insurance policies, motorcycle standard policies are very similar. Most insurers offer, on top of what we have already mentioned, personal injury protection, medical payments, comprehensive and collision coverage, all of which we would highly recommend adding to your overall policy! If you are feeling the want and need to add on more you can also add on roadside assistance, transport trailer coverage, trip interruption coverage, and coverage for custom parts, equipment, and accessories. For our readers who have invested a pretty penny into a custom chopper, this is an ideal situation for you! While many of our readers may still not be thrilled about paying for insurance on their bikes, please keep in mind that many companies will offer a "lay-up" period discount during cooler and inclement months where many individuals who have other modes of transportation will put their bikes away until the spring returns. There are also other discounts out there just waiting to be utilized. Make sure, if you need or want to, to speak to your provider and ask if you are eligible or if they offer any of these discounts!
Now let's talk about the real nitty-gritty of your bike, what happens if it is destroyed or stolen? There is a policy for that! When this happens you'll usually be given three different types of settlements. One is a stated amount, this will pay you the amount that you agreed upon when you purchased your policy. The second is an actual cash value, and this will pay the value of what your bike is worth minus depreciation and deductible. Finally, there is the agreed value and this will pay the amount you and the insurance company agreed on when you bought the policy and it is a fixed amount, nothing will be taken from a claim check when this option is chosen. Still not convinced that you need motorcycle insurance? Thank about it this way; 48 out of the 50 states in the US require you to have insurance. The two that don't still suggest that it might be the smart choice to do so. Here are a few more pieces of information to know about motorcycle insurance that you should still keep close to your heart when debating what policy you should get at the end of the day!
Motorcyclists, have we got your attention? We want you to enjoy the open road as best you can, and the best way to do so is to have the best insurance policy possible! Let Abri insurance help you curate the best insurance policy for your motorcycle in the Lowcountry! This way every ride is the safest and perfect ride every time! We're Abri Insurance and we are here to make sure you have the best coverage for life in the Lowcountry!
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 Knowing the truth about your insurance policies and coverage is just as important as knowing the false information floating around out there. Today, we are going to be talking about and debunking some of the most common small business insurance myths out there!
If the last year has taught us anything, it's that we need to be prepared for anything and everything that could come our way. This idea has been applied to every aspect of our personal and professional lives. We have been right here along with each of you figuring out the best way to go about handling everything. Our daily focus is on how to best support our clients and figuring out how Abri Insurance can continue to offer the best care and support possible for you, your loved ones, and your possessions no matter what might come your way. Small businesses felt and continue to feel some of the most painful and difficult effects of the pandemic, and many are struggling to recover still. The waters are still unsure, and who knows what's to come. One of the best ways to keep up the fight and to keep going is to make sure you have the correct insurance policies and the correct coverage for your small business. While the world continues to make its moves back to a sense of normalcy in its own and unique way, it's also important to know and squash any incorrect information and myths that are floating around out there about your small business and small business insurance. This way you can continue to recover, know what to avoid and ignore as you get back to work, and focus on the task at hand to get you back to operating as normal! What Is Small Business Insurance? Let's start with the basics! What is small business insurance and what do you need to know about it? One of the most important things to remember in this situation is that small business insurance is there to protect and cover what you've built over the years. You've worked so hard to create your small business, you deserve and need someone to work just as hard as you to watch over everything you've built and created. Small business insurance, or commercial insurance, is dedicated to protecting a business's income, property, and it's assets. The most common policy for a small business is called a business owners policy, or a BOP. A BOP will include three types of coverage to help protect your business; interruption coverage, liability coverage, and business property coverage. Depending on what type of small business you own, you may also be able to buy additional insurance coverage that is customized for your needs. What Does Small Business Insurance Cover? We know this question is at the tip of your tongue, and it should be! It is very important to know what is included in your BOP. Most basic policies will cover things like financial loss, damages from things like theft, fire, wind, falling objects, and lightning. A BOP might also help you replace business property if it is damaged due to man-made and natural disasters such as machinery, office furniture, and computers. It will also help, if you own your office building, to pay for any damages done to it by fire or other natural disasters. General liability within a BOP will help pay for the medical expenses that might accrue if a customer or a visitor is injured at your office and can also help cover legal fees as well. Finally, a BOP will also help with business interruption coverage. If your business is interrupted due to some kind of peril, this will help cover the cost of rent, lost business income, and repairs being made to your building. Examples of Small Business Myths Now that you know more about what small business insurance is, what a BOP is and what it will offer, it's time to dig a little deeper and debunk some very tricky myths floating around out there about small business insurance! Fiction: My employees drive their own cars. This means that I don't need to buy business auto insurance. Fact: It is very important to understand that while you and your employees might have auto insurance, you can't assume that it will cover any incident that happens when an employee is using their personal vehicle for business purposes. To be safe and to avoid any uncovered losses, to protect your employees, your company, and yourself, it is best to talk with us at Abri Insurance or with your insurance agent about getting the sufficient insurance you need for commercial auto coverage! Please note, this can come with perks! You can get coverage for rental vehicles, GPS equipment, and lease/loan gap coverage. Fiction: My business is too small for a cybersecurity breach! Fact: We will need to talk about this in another blog in the future, but please note that any cybercriminal will not discriminate when it comes to hacking into a company's private information to get what they want. If they want to go after a small company or a large company, a cybercriminal will do what they wish. You are always at risk and you will need to be covered for this risk. The House of Representatives Committee on Small Business reports that 40% of all cyber-attacks are focus on companies with 500 employees or less. Your plan should include privacy breach and cyber liability coverage. This can be included in your overall liability coverage. Fiction: My umbrella policy has it all covered! Fact: Just because your small business has an umbrella insurance policy doesn't mean that you're covered for anything and everything! Please speak with your insurance providers or with us at Abri Insurance to learn more about what exactly your umbrella policy covers and what it does not cover. Fiction: You don't need insurance to cover your small business located in your home! Fact: For anyone who is a small business owner that went through the first year of the pandemic knows that this is very false! Remember, even if you have an excellent homeowners insurance policy, this doesn't mean your home office, business, or your business equipment will be covered. Your home and the structure of your home will be covered under your homeowner's insurance policy, but nothing pertaining to your business will be. This will require additional coverage! Fiction: If I don't have any employees, I don't need workers comp insurance! Fact: Remember, even if you are a one-person operation, you still have an employee; you! While some states, like Texas, don't require you to have workers comp, you are still putting yourself and your company at risk if you don't have workers comp, even as a business of one. You could personally be held accountable and responsible for damaged products, cause of injury to your clients due to your faulty products, if shipments aren't fulfilled, and more. Fiction: Contracts will always protect you from legal action. Fact: No matter how legally sound or binding a contract might be, if you don't uphold your contractual obligations to a client or an employee, legal action could still be taken against you! This is where professional liability insurance can help you cover your losses and mitigate risk when a client is upset by your products and services. Fiction: When you get small business insurance, comprehensive insurance is yours by default! Fact: You will get general liability insurance when you get a small business insurance plan. Please note that this is just general coverage. It will cover most of your business needs but not certain things that might be important or pertain to your business. Fiction: You can lower your insurance premium by reporting a lower payroll or lower revenue. Fact: Please don't report false information to your insurance company to pay less for your coverage. This is what is called insurance fraud. This can cause some serious damage to your company, reputation, and you could end up with a huge bill to pay back what you were trying to save. Fiction: Business insurance is too expensive. Fact: Why is this always a fact that has to be challenged? While yes, you will be paying for a product and service that you might not use very often, when you do need it, it will end up saving you so much money and protect you, your business, and your employees. Your business is worth protecting, isn't it? A good rule of thumb to remember is that the smaller your business, the more insurance you should consider. If it is just you that is in charge of your business, you will be at fault and responsible if anything goes wrong! Fiction: Malpractice insurance is only something that doctors need to worry about! Fact: Medical malpractice is only one form of Error and Omissions coverage. Another form is known as professional liability insurance. E&O insurance will help cover you if you find yourself in a situation where you end up having legal fees to pay due to being sued for negligence or harmful advice. No matter the mistake, lawsuits will still always be possible and you will need protection. Small business owners, this was a blog dedicated just to you! We urge you to take this information to heart and to invest in an excellent small business insurance plan. We also recommend that you know everything about your policy inside and out. If you are a small business owner in need of the best coverage available or if you want to understand your existing policy a little better, please reach out to us at Abri Insurance. We are more than happy to speak with you about this topic! We're Abri Insurance and we are here to make sure you have the best coverage for life in the Lowcountry!  When you're a business owner, you've reached a level of making your dreams happen, doing a job you love, and creating or providing something you're very proud of. Wouldn't you want to protect all of this after working so hard to get to where you are? Today, we are going to be talking about commercial property insurance!
Hello Charleston, North Charleston, Summerville, and all of our readers in South Carolina and beyond! Welcome back to the Abri Insurance Blog! We hope you're doing well, and are properly covered for every aspect of your personal and professional life. No matter where you are in life and no matter how careful you are, accidents are bound to happen. Mother nature decides when a natural disaster is going to happen, and human error is a way of life. Being from South Carolina, we know the realities of the weather, once hurricane season is here, a hurricane of any magnitude or a tropical storm could happen when you least expect it. We've briefly touched on homeowners insurance in our blog, and we've talked a good deal about hurricane insurance. You spend time and money investing in your home's safety during these times, why wouldn't you do the same for your business, no matter its size? This also includes when you work from home, a proper business insurance policy will cover your business both on and off your personal property. Think about what your company produces or offers. Think about how devastating it would be to lose anything in your office to hurt or stop your business, even for a short amount of time. Think about how damaging it would be if your work from home situation was brought to a halt due to an accident, flood, fire, vandalism, and much more. Not only would your home be damaged, you could potentially be harmed, and your income could also be put in jeopardy. That's where commercial property insurance comes into play. You've worked so hard to have your own business, why wouldn't you want something working just as hard for you? What Is Commercial Property Insurance? The basic definition of commercial property insurance is that it covers every physical aspect of your company. It's something that every company needs no matter its size and no matter if you lease, rent, or own the building your company runs out of or if you work from home. It's important to have because so many small businesses and startups simply don't have the cash flow to cover anything if damage or disaster would happen to any of their business assets. According to fundera.com, there are currently 28.8 million small businesses in the United States, employing over 55 million people. When it comes to all businesses in the United States, 99.9% of them are small businesses. With these kinds of numbers, that's a huge part of every community that needs protection from whatever might happen. For many business owners, they know it's not a question of if something will happen, but when. Being prepared for when something will happen is one of the best things you can do for your employees and your company. Generally, many businesses will have a commercial property plan that is bundled with other forms of insurance to make sure it is the most well-rounded plan with the most protection possible. What Does Commercial Property Insurance Cover? Before getting in too deep, it's very important to understand that you need to buy the right kind of insurance plan for your company. Buying a cookie-cutter plan that's not specifically tailored to you will be a waste of money and a waste of your time. Make sure that when you sit down with us at Abri Insurance that you share with us exactly what your business is, what you do every day to operate successfully, and what moving parts the company is made up of. This way we can create a plan that covers exactly what you need, so you're only paying for what you need. Also, when disaster strikes, a tailored insurance plan will help you recover from the whole process. It will not leave you with giant gaping holes that you'll have to cover yourself. As we mentioned before, commercial property insurance is used to cover and protect your company's equipment and property from the risk of accidents and disasters. One of the best things that commercial property insurance helps is to protect your building, what's inside of it, along with fences, doors, outdoor signage, and even exterior fixtures. The plan itself covers all of that and all of your physical assets from vandalism, fire, explosions, burst pipes, water damage, theft, and storms. This is everything your common policy will cover. This means it will help cover the loss and damage of things like your office equipment, computers, inventory, other's property, important documents, and more. However, there are still some things that everyday plans won't cover like earthquakes and floods. This will need to be added on if these elements are common to where you work and live. Also, there are multiple different kinds of commercial insurance, since there are so many different kinds of risks your face when you own a business. Depending on what kind of business you own, you might need a few more additions than your peers or fellow business owners do, and that's okay! Safety first! Compare a big tech corporation to a big coal corporation. A coal company would not need to protect its documents and information stored on its cloud as a tech company would. On the other hand, a tech company would not need to have the type of intensive coverage for their employees and machinery that is used in a coal mine that a coal company does. However, this is why it is so common to see commercial insurance plans bundling multiple options. What are the different types of commercial insurance that you can find?
Please note that unless you specifically set your plan to do so, your commercial property insurance won't cover your assets when they are off of your property. They will usually not be covered when they are over 100 feet from your office. If you need protection on things like your work equipment, computers, cameras, and anything else you take off your property to work elsewhere, please speak to your insurance agent to make sure you have the coverage you need. How Much Does Commercial Insurance Cost? Just like there isn't a one plan fits all situation for every company, there is no one size fits all price either. How much you will be paying will depend on a lot of factors.
There is still so much more to consider when it comes to commercial property insurance, this is just scratching the surface. As you know, there are so many working parts to your business and your industry. This will lead to needing a lot more coverage than you might think. For veteran business owners make sure to stay up to date with your policies and to let them grow alongside your company. For our new business owners, please do your research, and make sure to sit down with us at Abri Insurance to make sure you get the best insurance plan possible for your company! Until next time, please don't hesitate to reach out to us if you have any questions or comments. We are here and excited to talk about your insurance policy! We're Abri Insurance and we are here to make sure you have the best coverage for life in the Lowcountry!  While it might not be the best time to be out on the water in this damp and cool weather, it is the perfect time to prepare for when you can be! Today we are going to be talking about the truth behind your boat insurance!
Dreaming of warmer days and spending hours back on your boat? Or have you not stopped spending days on your boat regardless of the weather? Nothing a few layers can't help with, right? Regardless if your boat is currently tucked gently away in storage or hasn't missed a Saturday out, having the proper coverage and insurance is incredibly important. It is so important that we want to dedicate a whole blog about how to have the best boat insurance to enjoy life in the Lowcountry, and to help keep you safe on and off land! What Do You Need To Know About Boat Insurance?
What Does Boat Insurance Cover? Basic boat insurance will offer its owner a certain amount of protection, but adding on more coverage can be your best route of action. Let's begin by talking about what your basic boat insurance policies will cover.
What Are Some Common Boat Insurance Myths?
Owning a boat is a huge responsibility but it will provide hours of fun and entertainment, and for all of our fishermen and shrimpers, a boat can help your business be very lucrative. We hope this information clears up any confusion or concern you have about your boating insurance. If you are still confused or have any more questions, please don't hesitate to reach out. We are here to provide the best boat insurance in Charleston! We're Abri Insurance and we are here to make sure you have the best coverage for life in the Lowcountry!  A new year is spread out ahead of us, and anything is possible. We all know this to be very true after 2020. To be safe and to be prepared we wanted to provide our readers with a little insight into worker's compensation insurance!
Having a stable job has been a life raft for so many through 2020 and into this new year. We watched unemployment rise higher than it's been since the depression, the number of individuals applying for unemployment skyrocketed, and the realities of not having the insurance needed for your everyday life as a consequence of these occurrences was felt by many. If 2020 and early 2021 have taught us anything, it's to be prepared for anything and everything. You just don't know what could happen anywhere or anytime. Many individuals were forced to get a temporary job to replace a furloughed position, many in fields they were new or unaccustomed to. This came with an onslaught of all kinds of issues that many didn't expect. In a year where anything could happen, it's always best to be prepared and to and stay ahead of the game! Today, we are going to be discussing worker's compensation insurance, everything you need to know about it, its realities, and a few myths surrounding the topic that need to be debunked and left behind for good. What You Need To Know & The Realities of Workers Compensation Insurance There is so much information out there and available to you about worker's compensation. Some of it is buried in legal documentation, some are common knowledge, some your company shares with you, and some of it is talked about around the water cooler. What are the realities you need to know and understand about workers comp before you need it after an accident or mishap? The reality is that any company wants to keep you safe, but even after doing everything by the book and thinking above and beyond, even the safest work environment can't stop a human accident or err. For those who might be new to the working world, worker's compensation covers the cost of medical needs and rehabilitation for workers injured on the job. It is important to remember that worker's compensation varies from state to state. For all of our readers that are local, your worker's compensation is much different from our readers who might be on the west coast. Let's jump into what you need to know!
Kick the Myths Now that you know a little more information about worker's compensation, it's time to kick some common myths to the curb.
We hope all of this information clears up all of your questions, fears, and concerns about worker's compensation insurance. You should not be afraid while on the job that you won’t be covered and you shouldn’t be afraid to ask for the help you need. Please research every one you wish to work with. If you’re a business owner, research the insurance company you’re looking to work with. If you’re an injured employee, please research any lawyer you want to work with. Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or concerns. We want you to stay as healthy and as safe as possible and to receive the care and benefits you need if you are ever sick or injured. We're Abri Insurance and we are here to make sure you have the best coverage for life in the Lowcountry!  It's the new year, and it's time to start fresh. To make the most out of your insurance plans this year, here is our insurance checklist for 2021!
Hello readers, and welcome back to the blog! Goodness, it's 2021 already! As much as we were happy to see 2020 go, it's a little wild to think how quickly last year seemed to fly by! From all of us at Abri, we want to wish you a very happy and healthy new year! A new year is so exciting, it means growth, change, and adventure. You might buy a new home, a new car, get married, retire, or finally get the opportunity to take that trip you've been planning for years! We will be here for all of your insurance needs, changes, and upgrades to help support and care for you and your loved ones this year. A new year, in its harsh reality, also means that there is the opportunity to face bad weather, unexpected illness and injury, accidents, and much more. We will also be here to help you with all of your insurance needs to cover and care for all of these situations to keep you and your family as safe and protected as possible! A new year also means making the most out of each of your insurance plans, and we want to make sure you're getting the most out of what you're paying for every month. To do that, we've created our very own insurance checklist for 2021. We ended 2020 with an end of the year checklist, and now we are kicking off 2021 with a checklist to make this the best year yet!
These are just ten easy steps and ideas to put on your 2021 new year's checklist. They don't even include trips to the gym or cutting carbs! You can even schedule an appointment with us at Abri to make sure all of your insurance policies for your life here in Charleston, South Carolina are all in perfect order. All of us here at Abri want to make sure you have the healthiest and safest new year. So please take this checklist to heart, and please reach out to us right away if you need to change or update your policy in any way. It's better to be prepared now at the beginning of the year before anything happens over the next 12 months ahead of us. We're Abri Insurance and we are here to make sure you have the best coverage for life in the Lowcountry!  It has been an incredibly challenging year, but with everything organized and in its place, one last thing you'll have to worry about at the end of this year and the beginning of next year are your insurance plans!
Hello readers, and welcome back to the blog! Can we all just sit back and relax and acknowledge that we did it? We made it through this year, we made it through another open enrollment period, and we are just about to step into a bright and fresh new year! We did it! We have so much to be thankful for, and we are so grateful for all of your support. We are happy to have helped so many of our returning customers find insurance plans that fit them perfectly for yet another year, and we are excited to have helped our new customers find the perfect insurance plans for their needs! Welcome to the Abri family! We are honored to help you, be here to support you, and keep you and your family safe and protected! While our last blog was all about rushing to use up your benefits now that you may or may not have hit your deductible, this blog is going to be a little extra holiday gift from us you. There is so much to wrap up at the end of the year, and so much to prepare for when the ball drops at midnight and we all step into the new year. To really make the last few days of 2020 count and to get the best foot forward for 2021, we wanted to give you a checklist of sorts. In this blog, we are going to be talking about important end of the year things to do and not forget about when it comes to your insurance plans. We are also going to be talking about some of the best things to think about and do with your brand new insurance plans for your brand new year! You've purchased all your gifts, sent out your holiday cards, decorated, baked, cooked, and planned. Your holidays are ready to go, but what about the rest of your end of the year affairs? Have you wrapped up everything you needed to with your insurance for 2020? Well, let's go through this list together, and let's see if your hard work has paid off or if there are a few last minute things to do with your insurance plans before we start toasting to 2021!
There you have it! What a list, and what an impressive amount of things to think about and get done before January 1st! We know that it might be difficult to make time to go through a checklist like this, but we promise that each of these bullet points is extremely important. If you are unsure about your insurance policies, have questions concerning life changes 2020 has brought you, or you are interested in upgrading your plans or finding a new provider, Abri is here for you! From all of us at Abri, we wish you and yours a very safe holiday and an even safer new year!  Coming to the end of the year means hurrying up and getting all of your health procedures done because you have or will be hitting your deductible. What does this really mean for you and your health?
Happy December, everyone! As we are quickly coming to the end of open enrollment and gearing up for a brand new year with a whole new deductible to meet, the rush to get in all of our doctor's appointments now and go through with all of those proceeds you've been waiting to get done is on before next year begins! However, this year might get in the way of that due to COVID restrictions and regulations, and the fact that this year has gone by so quickly. With so much going on in our insurance world, in your health journey, and with the holiday season being here, we wanted to dive a little more in-depth about hitting your deductible and what this can and cannot mean for your health and your bank account. First and foremost, we do want to stress that your health is the most important thing in this equation. If you need healthcare or a medical procedure done, please get it done. Don't wait to meet your deductible to get the healthcare that you need. If it's something you need now to stay healthy, to improve your quality of life, and to help keep you safe, get it done now. While money can be daunting when it comes to going to the doctor, there are so many options out there for you. First, please speak with us here at Abri if your health insurance coverage isn't providing you with enough coverage. We will continue to help you find a plan that is affordable and will provide the coverage you need for your health care needs. If we can't apply this new plan right now, we will help you pick out the best plan possible for the new year and help you navigate your medical expenses now. Next, speak with your doctors. Many doctors, offices, and hospitals do provide payment programs and options, they just don't advertise them. To find out about them, you have to ask about them. So please ask! Also, we understand why you might have chosen a plan that has a low monthly rate and a high deductible. You might not be able to afford a plan with a higher monthly premium, so you're okay with having a higher deductible. However, if you do choose this and choose to wait to reach that deductible to finally get the treatment you need, it could turn out to be much more expensive than just getting a higher monthly premium plan. What happens if you're sick and wait too long to get the care you need? You could cause serious damage to yourself that requires more treatment, medicine, and surgery to help keep you healthy and alive. These medical procedures and treatments can end up being way more expensive than if you had just gone to the doctor in the first place and more expensive than getting a higher monthly premium. So please think about that, and please put your health first. However, if you are still going to wait to hit your deductible, there are a few things we wanted to share with you. Even if you don't hit your deductible, you should still get the most out of your insurance plan as you can before the year is up. You've waited long enough, you've paid for it all year, research what you can give back to yourself, and take advantage of it. Don't just plan for the end of the year, consider next year too and how these visits can help you now and in the months to come. Also, don't forget, if you have hit your deductible for 2020, your deductible will go back to zero once 2021 rolls around!
Lastly, we are here to help you find the best insurance plan for you. Has this open enrollment season made you realize how difficult it can be to find the plan you want? Were you unhappy with your insurance this year and didn't hit your deductible or get the care you need? We can help with that! As the year winds down, make sure you add contacting us to the top of your list to make 2021 a more stable year for you and your health insurance plan!  While traveling might look a little differently this year, it's always smart to be prepared.
Traveling throughout 2020 has been such a strange and unique experience, and hasn't looked like anything we've ever seen before. For most, traveling has become something we've put on the back burner and will come back to once it's safe to do so again. However, even with that in mind, the most important thing to remember is that traveling as we've always known it will be back again. We will be able to enjoy every aspect of traveling again someday soon and will be enjoying our regularly scheduled vacation plans again. For now, it's just on pause. Until then, since we all have a little time on our hands, it's a great time to learn a little bit more about the many ways to keep you and your family safe the next time you're on your dream vacations. While you're dreaming about packing up your favorite overnight bag and the stack of books you want to read by the pool, we encourage you to start adding travel insurance to those thoughts and considerations. One of our favorite topics is, of course, insurance, and it applies to every aspect of your life. In the spirit of celebrating the joy of travel and counting down the days until your next (safe) big trip, we wanted to chat about the truths and misconceptions of travel insurance. Myths and misconceptions on any topic are a dangerous road to go down. They can, sadly, cause hundreds of well-meaning people and travelers to make some not so smart decisions. Thanks to these myths floating around out there, travel insurance has gotten a pretty bad reputation that it's not needed and that it's a waste of time and money. Please know that these myths and misconceptions are called that for a reason and have been getting in the way of guaranteeing safe and fantastic trips for millions of people every year. Also keep in mind that if you are planning on traveling internationally, travel insurance is a necessity, and we wouldn't ever recommend getting on a plane without it. Myth: My credit card offers plenty of protection while I'm traveling, and I won't need any more protection than that! Fact: First and foremost, your travel credit cards only cover a few basic things, and in almost every situation they won't cover much if any healthcare if you get sick or injured while you're out of the country. If you're traveling inside of the United States, it still is very much the same. While your healthcare will be out of network while traveling more than 100 miles away from your home, most likely, it will still be better than traveling globally without any health insurance. If you choose to rely on your travel credit card as your travel insurance while you're away from home, please call and speak with your credit card company first, just so you know exactly what protection you'll have, if any! Even the best travel credit cards out there offer little more than protection for stolen items, loss of baggage, or a canceled trip. While some medical expenses could be covered, the coverage limit will be very low. The amount you could be spending out of pocket could be huge, and much more than you would be paying for a travel insurance plan. We urge you to speak with us or your insurance provider about some travel insurance on top of the protection your credit card offers. This way your medical needs, if by chance something does happen when you're away, can be taken care of much more affordably. Myth: Travel insurance doesn't cover pre-existing conditions. Fact: This is a moment where we need to pause and have you read the fine print on any travel insurance package. If you have a pre-existing condition, and you were healthy and stable before the start of your trip, travel insurance will help cover you for things you might need if something happens due to your pre-existing condition while you're traveling. If you need more medication or need to see a doctor because of it, travel insurance will help taking care of you with ease. When planning out a trip and you choose to sit down and talk with us at Abri or with your current insurance provider, make sure you pick an appropriate travel insurance plan with your specific needs and with your condition in mind. According to AAA, they encourage people to remember that the term "pre-existing" can be much broader than many people realize. Don't just dismiss the idea that your condition isn't included under the pre-existing bubble. Make sure to do your research! Also, please don't wait to get coverage for your pre-existing condition added to your travel insurance plan. You will need to apply for it between 10 days and a month of booking your trip, according to AAA. Myth: Travel insurance is too expensive! Fact: Remember, as we've mentioned before, if you get sick or injured 100 miles or more away from your home or when you're outside of the country, it can cost you much more than what you'll end up paying out of pocket for your travel insurance policy. According to AAA, travel insurance will cost 5-8% of your trips overall cost. So, yes, the more your trip costs the more you will be paying for insurance. However, if you can't pay the out-of-pocket expenses if your trip is canceled, if you have to rebook your flight or hotel last minute, then travel insurance is the way to go. In any of these last-minute situations, your travel insurance will be able to give you the protection you need financially and for your mental well being. Myth: I have great health insurance already, so that will cover me on my trip! Travel insurance and health insurance are the same things, anyway. Fact: This is a very big issue that's found across the board, and it is also a very false statement. Your personal health insurance won't provide protection or support with trip interruption, trip cancellation, damaged possessions, stolen items, lost items, emergency evacuation, or if there is a natural disaster where you've chosen to vacation and you're now dealing with the situation as an expatriate. Travel insurance, on the other hand, does. Also, while your health insurance might cover "customary" and "reasonable" expenses when you're abroad, most of your other costs won't be covered, according to AAA. This can happen when you're simply out of network when you're traveling in the US, too. Also, Medicare does not cover chargers that happen outside of the United States. So, if you have to be moved to a different doctor or specialist while you're traveling abroad (also called medical evacuation) it will not be covered under Medicare and nor will your other medical related issues. Also, if you're using insurance through your employer while traveling, you might be the only one it covers during your trip. While your spouse or child might be covered under this insurance while you're at home, this might not be the cause while you're traveling. This could put your loved ones at serious risk while traveling if all you have is your normal health insurance with you during your trip and not travel insurance. Myth: I'm incredibly healthy and I'm a very safe person. Nothing will happen to me or my belongings while I'm traveling! Fact: While you might be healthy and safe, there is so much about life and other people that you cannot control when it comes to traveling and what could happen. So much of what could happen during a trip that could put you in danger or cause you to leave and head back home because of an emergency has nothing to do with how healthy you are or how safe you live your life. You don't have control over the weather, over a canceled flight, or if someone chooses to steal your belongings or passport. Don't assume either, that even if you're just traveling over a short period that you're safe from these disasters. One bad day, one bad storm, or the loss of all your luggage in a matter of one flight can happen when you least expect it. There is no amount of specific time between when a disaster can and cannot happen! We hope we've put your traveling plans in a new perspective after reading this blog! During these unknown times where traveling is already a gamble, travel insurance shouldn't be a question. Be prepared, travel safely, and make sure to put travel insurance at the top of your to-do list when making plans for your next trip. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out and chat with us! We are here for all of your insurance needs and questions! We are excited to work with you and love being a part of the Summerville community!  The dawning of November means the beginning of open enrollment. If you are new to the process or you're looking to make it a much easier process than you've experienced, that is what this blog is all about!
While the idea of turkey and stuffing is on the minds of most of our readers, November is an incredibly busy month for us and it has nothing to do with picking out what sides to match our turkey or the perfect pumpkin pie. While these are things we still make time for and hope you get a ton of enjoyment out of, November for all of us at Abri means one thing; Open Enrollment! While we want you to enjoy the most out of your Thanksgiving and the last bit of fall here in Summerville, if your insurance plan is expiring and you will be needing new health insurance coverage, we hope you make open enrollment one of your priorities over the next month. We are here to help you through every step of this process and want to make it an extremely pain-free experience. That is why we wanted to dedicate this blog to multiple ways on how you can make it a pain-free process and what some of the best ways to handle open enrollment are. Don't stress, you've got this! Open enrollment for 2021 began on November 1st and it ends on December 15th. Every year you only have a little over a month to search for, research, and choose your next best healthcare plan. Just a tad overwhelming. For our readers new to the blog and the insurance world, you might be curious about what open enrollment actually is. According to the dictionary, open enrollment is "a period of time during which one may freely enroll in or change one's selection of health insurance plan or other benefit programs that is ordinarily subject to restrictions." The short version is that your health insurance plan is expiring and it's time to get a new one. Sounds relatively easy, right? Well, we are here to make it as simple and as easy for our clients as we possibly can. Sadly, this is not the case for everyone. Enrollment is a short period that pushes people to pick their plans very rapidly and has also been created to limit adverse selection. What makes it hard, even when you know all year that you have a short period to buy your plan, getting information about what your options are and what's available to you can be difficult to find or very confusing. That's where we can come in. If you are looking for an independent plan on the marketplace and outside of what your employers may or may not be offering, we can search the whole market with you and your family's needs and best intentions in mind. This can help you save time, save stress, save money, and help guarantee that all of you and your family's needs will be taken care of. While you begin your journey and begin the search for health insurance, we wanted to provide you with a list of tips and suggestions on what to be thinking about and what to avoid while you're searching in the market.
Now that you've read through this blog, are you feeling better about open enrollment? Regardless if you are or not, please remember that we are here to help. We know that you have many difficult questions to ask yourself to make sure you and your family are covered and cared for. We are here to do the rest of the heavy lifting once those decisions are made. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to us now before open enrollment closes! We are excited to work with you and love being a part of the Summerville community! |
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