Four cases where professional expertise beats DIY travel planning

By Catey Hill

Job site CareerCast recently put them on its “most useless professions” list, many consumers have stopped calling or visiting them, and even some within the industry worry they may soon be out of work. After all, when it’s so easy for consumers to plan and book their own travel online, does anyone need a travel agent anymore?

While “travel agents used to be mostly mom-and-pop, brick-and-mortar shops selling trips to Disney World and cruises and things like that,” that’s all changing, says Elias Garcia, a marketing specialist at travel company Global Basecamps. Many agents still provide such services of course, but fewer and fewer are doing so, because those package deals, as well as one-off plane tickets and hotel rooms — once more difficult for regular people to find and compare on their own — are now at most everyone’s fingertips, he says. Despite that, one in four airline tickets is still sold by brick-and-mortar travel agents, according to industry estimates. (70% is for corporate travel and the rest leisure.)

While the professions prospects may be dimming, the ranks of a certain type of travel agent — one who puts together complicated and unique itineraries for wealthier consumers — are growing, experts say. These “travel consultants” distinguish themselves by being experts on the destinations they sell trips to. A sample trip, for instance, might include dinner with a local family, tickets to a VIP event, a boat rental, and a tour around town with a trustworthy guide. According projections from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, overall employment of travel agents is projected to increase by 10% from 2010 to 2020, but the agency notes that “job prospects should be best for travel agents who specialize in specific destinations or particular types of travelers, such as groups with a special interest or corporate travelers.”

“Generalists haven’t survived particularly well,” says Tony Gonchar, the vice president of American Express Travel; instead, more travel agents today are specialists, tending to focus on specific destinations or experiences, he says. “They’ll know that you should go to this restaurant at this time of day and sit in this seat for the best sunsets,” he says, adding they may even have an existing relationship with the restaurant’s manager.

The role of a travel agent has changed so much, in fact, that some don’t typically do the types of tasks that used to be standard: “When clients call me for a flight, I tell them ‘you don’t need to call me for that,’” says Denver-based travel consultant Joseph Sobin, noting that it’s often cheaper for clients to book flights directly online. “But if you want to know what to do and how to do it when you get there, call me for that.” And many travel agents now differentiate themselves in a whole new way: Rather than competing on price, “we focus on a service-oriented experience where we meet clients as soon as they step off the aircraft, are on call 24/7 and take responsibility if something goes wrong.” says Richard Bexon, the COO of Costa Rica-based Costa Rica Vacations.

For their part, consumers seem to be responding: Roughly one in five consumers with $100,000 or more in household income used an agent to book a trip in the past year, according to a study by research firm Harrison Group and American Express Publishing. That number is up from one in seven in 2009, and Jim Taylor, vice chairman of research firm Harrison Group, expects it to rise even more in the coming years.

Of course, you’ll pay for their services, though not necessarily out of your own pocket: Traditional agents are often compensated by the vendors they use, getting 7.5% to 15% of the total cost of the travel booked with that vendor, with the average being about 10%, says Sobin. The new breed of agents, Sobin says, often charge a one-time or hourly fee. And many may be paid both ways. Ask your agent how he or she is compensated to make sure you’re getting a fair deal; as with financial advisers, agents who are compensated by vendors may be biased toward a certain type of tour, even if it’s not the best one for you.

Shutterstock.com
Beach near Nosara, Costa Rica.
Bottom line: Many people don’t need a travel agent. This is particularly true for those taking simple trips to well-known destinations — like flying to the Caribbean to stay at a resort — since it’s relatively easy and often cheaper to book the hotels, flights, cruises, cars and travel packages for trips like this online yourself. Internet-savvy individuals willing to do their research — to separate the good hotels, events and attractions from the bad — probably don’t need the help of an agent either.

When should you reach out to a travel agent?

• If you want someone to call when things go wrong: Nearly 70% of affluent consumers who use travel agents say what’s most important is that an agent protect them or help them when things go wrong with a trip, according to a study by Harrison Group and American Express Publishing. “Travel agents are a kind of insurance,” Taylor say. For many agents, this means being on call at all hours.

• If you’re pressed for time or just want to avoid hassles: About one in three travelers feels overwhelmed by the amount of travel information online, according to the American Express Spending & Savings Tracker, a survey that looks at Americans’ spending and saving habits. If you’re in this group, or simply don’t have time to deal with trip planning, travel agents can do it all for you. Tell them where you want to go and the types of things you like to do, and they can put together a list of options for you and book them, saving you time. Agents are particularly useful to travelers who plan to take complicated trips, or go to multiple destinations or with multiple generations, says Gonchar.

• If you want more of a local experience: Good travel consultants have relationships with locals in your destination, experts say, so they can do things like arrange for you to have dinner with a local family, recommend restaurants and pubs that residents like but tourists don’t tend to know about, or find a tiny B&B for you to stay at where you can get to know the owner.

• If you want a highly customized experience: More and more travelers are asking for one-of-a-kind trips specifically tailored to their likes, says Gonchar. A foodie might want something like a private cooking class in Italy, a meet-and-greet with a chef she’s been reading about and a table in the private wine room of a restaurant. While she might not have the connections to get this done herself, a travel agent with deep local knowledge might be able to make this happen for her, Gonchar says.

Sobin says that the best way to find a travel agent is to get referrals from people you know. If you don’t know anyone, call a handful of agents and ask them questions about the destination you want to go to and the kinds of things he or she recommends there, to see if the agent has the insider knowledge and connections to make your trip unique. Experts also recommend that you ask for referrals and then call previous clients to ask about their experiences.

September 5, 2013

The U.S. Embassy has received reports of a bomb blast in Nasr City, Cairo, that targeted Egypt’s Minister of Interior. Security Forces are at the scene and the investigation is ongoing. This incident serves as an indicator of the tension and volatility that continues to exist throughout the country. Though the size and ferocity of demonstrations has subsided over the past few weeks, there have been several instances throughout the county of the targeting of police stations. The U.S. Embassy urges U.S. citizens to avoid areas where incidents or unrest have recently occurred. Additionally, U.S. citizens should recognize that police stations and security forces may be targeted, and should avoid unsecured areas where police or security forces are congregated.

As a matter of general practice, U.S. citizens should avoid areas where large gatherings may occur. Even demonstrations or events intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and possibly escalate into violence. U.S. citizens in Egypt are urged to monitor local news reports and to plan their activities accordingly.

The Embassy reminds U.S. citizens to review their personal security plans and remain alert to their surroundings at all times in Egypt. For the latest security information, U.S. citizens traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department of State’s Internet website where the Worldwide Caution, Country Specific Information for Egypt, Travel Warnings, and Travel Alerts, can be found. Follow us on Twitter and the Bureau of Consular Affairs page on Facebook, and download our free Smart Traveler App, available through iTunes or Google Play to have travel information at your fingertips.

Up-to-date information on security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada, or, for callers outside of the United States and Canada, on a regular toll-line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).

U.S. citizens are advised to maintain valid travel documents and enroll with the Department of State or the U.S. Embassy Cairo through the State Department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program website. If you enroll we can keep you up to date with important safety and security announcements and can also help your family and friends get in touch with you in an emergency. U.S. citizens without Internet access may enroll directly with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate.

For further information, U.S. citizens may call the Embassy’s American Citizens Services Unit at 2797-2301 during business hours, Sunday to Thursday from 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Please refer to the American Citizens Services Facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/USEmbassyCairoACS. For emergencies after business hours and on weekends and holidays, U.S. citizens can contact the Embassy Duty Officer via the Embassy switchboard at 2797-3300. The Embassy is located at 5 Tawfik Diab Street (formerly known as Latin America Street), Garden City, Cairo.

As per Insurance Journal

Willis Group Holdings announced the appointment of Les Collett to establish a Financial Solutions office in Hong Kong, effective from October 1, 2013. He joins Willis from Standard Bank in Hong Kong where he is currently Head of Loan Syndications – Global Markets Asia.

Collett is an experienced banker and has held senior positions in London prior to moving to Hong Kong in January 2007. Paul Davidson, CEO of Willis Financial Solutions, explained that he would “continue the successful development of our political and trade credit risk practice in Asia.

Davidson added that Willis already has a strong “position in the region from our existing operations in Singapore. The continued expansion and development of international trade in Asia presents significant opportunities for our clients, as well as regulatory capital management challenges.”

By Jeyup S Kwaak

The need to smile all day at work is turning young South Koreans towards a surgical procedure that lifts the corners of their mouths.

Cosmetic surgeons in Seoul say they are seeing a sudden rise in demand for the so-called smile surgery this year among men and women in their 20s and 30s, most of whom are concerned about facing criticism at work because of their expressionless miens.

“Even when you are looking like your normal self, people keep asking you: ‘Why are you frowning?’” said Kwon Taek-keun, a plastic surgeon in practice for 20 years and known in professional circles as the first in the country to popularize the procedure. “That’s a lot of stress.”

The pictures and video clips that Dr. Kwon’s clinic, Aone Plastic & Aesthetic Surgery, posted online have caused a controversy in recent days, attracting derision from some media reports and the blogosphere, and comparisons to the Joker character from the Batman series.

But the cosmetic surgeons who carry out the procedure argue people, young and old, come psychologically scarred by hurtful remarks about their naturally downturned lips, especially if they have customer-facing roles. Services-industry workers such as flight attendants and consultants frequent the clinics, according to the surgeons.

The need to smile all day at work is turning young South Koreans towards a surgical procedure that lifts the corners of their mouths.

Cosmetic surgeons in Seoul say they are seeing a sudden rise in demand for the so-called smile surgery this year among men and women in their 20s and 30s, most of whom are concerned about facing criticism at work because of their expressionless miens.

“Even when you are looking like your normal self, people keep asking you: ‘Why are you frowning?’” said Kwon Taek-keun, a plastic surgeon in practice for 20 years and known in professional circles as the first in the country to popularize the procedure. “That’s a lot of stress.”

Goldenview plastic & aesthetic surgery clinic Before and after “Smile Surgery”
The pictures and video clips that Dr. Kwon’s clinic, Aone Plastic & Aesthetic Surgery, posted online have caused a controversy in recent days, attracting derision from some media reports and the blogosphere, and comparisons to the Joker character from the Batman series.

But the cosmetic surgeons who carry out the procedure argue people, young and old, come psychologically scarred by hurtful remarks about their naturally downturned lips, especially if they have customer-facing roles. Services-industry workers such as flight attendants and consultants frequent the clinics, according to the surgeons.

Goldenview plastic & aesthetic surgery clinic Before and after “Smile Surgery”
Known in the West as “Valentine anguloplasty” after the heart shape of the removed muscle tissues at the lip’s edge, the smile surgery was first developed as a part of an overall anti-aging face lift, Dr. Kwon and other surgeons say. Tightening the drooping face parts didn’t restore the lips to the original upturned position, making an extra procedure necessary, they said.
“It is going against gravity,” said Dr. David Song of Golden View Plastic Surgery. He added that he observes the patient in different poses, such as in a seated position or while lying down, to get the most natural angle for the lips. “We’re restoring the original lip line.”
Though South Koreans are some of the most avid users of plastic surgery in the world – the country has the world’s highest number of cosmetic surgery procedures per capita, according to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons – the area around the mouth was relatively unexplored, the surgeons say.

The age demographic of clients asking about the smile surgery became substantially younger, the surgeons say, after some celebrities’ smiles began attracting public scrutiny earlier this year. Few have admitted to going under the knife for a perkier expressions.
But some clinics now publicize more than 15 different procedures for the lip and the mouth, including enlargement, reduction and gum exposure reduction. The most common procedure? The smile surgery, according to Dr. Cha Seung-youn at ZIEN Plastic Surgery.
“Your eyes and mouth make up the most of your facial expression,” said Dr. Cha.

With a typical price tag of up to $2,000, the “natural” killer smile doesn’t come cheap, and Dr. Song warns that consistent care will be needed over a three-to-six months of the recovery period.

Sweden is decentralizing the operation of cross-border healthcare to the regions.

It often tops the world rankings for the best healthcare. The Swedish healthcare system is universal and free for all. It is government funded and decentralised. The problems are few, but for some operations in some regions there are queues for treatment and the relatively high cost of private Swedish healthcare means that patients can choose many EU countries where they could get quicker treatment at prices that would be lower than the local costs; although they would still have to pay for accommodation and healthcare so numbers taking advantage are not expected to be high.

While Swedish counties normally pick up the tab for health care, the central state has administered and paid for health care purchased in other EU countries. But that system is set to change on October 1st, although the state has promised to earmark funds in the autumn budget for the counties to dip into to ease the transition.

Sweden is divided into 290 municipalities and 20 county councils, which include the regions of Gotland, Halland, Västra Götaland and Skåne.There is no hierarchical relation between municipalities, county councils and regions, since all have their own self-governing local authorities with responsibility for different activities. The only exception is Gotland, an island in the Baltic Sea, where the municipality also has the responsibilities and tasks normally associated with a county council.

In theory, patients will get more choice on what treatment to seek abroad, but nobody is sure what the result of transferring the decision-making process to the regional level will be. The regions could be very strict, or if there are local queues, could pay for treatment and other costs too. The decision of who gets what from whom will transfer over to the counties, which will confer in reviewing patient applications with the National Insurance Agency.

Hasse Knutsson of the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SALAR) says that while patients can apply retroactively to have their treatment or operation paid for by Swedish authorities, there is never a guarantee that the full cost will be reimbursed, “If replacing a hip costs 55,000 kronor in Sweden, but you get it done in Germany where the price is 70,000, you would only get back 55000.”

In 2012, 3,000 Swedes got money back for health care obtained abroad, but 400 people who applied for coverage were rejected. Swedish patients most commonly seek help with skin conditions and eye problems, but there are signs that ailments that Swedish health care has little capacity to treat are pushing patients over the borders.

Hasse Knutsson of SALAR admits, “It is difficult to speculate about what effects this reform will have, both in terms of the number of people leaving for treatment and people coming here.

There may be more patients coming here.” – See more at: http://www.imtj.com/news/?entryid82=426352#sthash.126cBi0f.dpuf

By Alex Brittain

A recovery in the euro-zone manufacturing sector broadened in August, as factory activity picked up in countries such as Spain and Italy that have suffered long downturns sparked by the region’s fiscal crisis.

The latest signs of growth in these countries, as well as bail-out recipient Ireland, helped euro-zone manufacturers overall grow at the fastest rate in over two years, said data provider Markit in its monthly report Monday.

Growth accelerated in Germany, the euro zone’s biggest and strongest economy, and resumed in Spain after more than two years of decline. Factory activity in crisis-hit Greece shrank, but at the slowest rate in more than three years. The French factory sector ebbed, as it did in July.

Matthews Asia manages 25 billion dollars worth of assets around the globe. Portfolio manager Taizo Ishida tells us why the Philippines is becoming the top pick among developing markets in the region.

The release adds to a growing pile of evidence that the euro-zone economy, which emerged from a shallow, 18-month downturn in April, will continue to grow in the third quarter. Growth prospects remain poor, though, as governments continue with austerity policies and consumers and businesses refrain from spending freely. Unemployment is near record highs.

Markit said the euro-zone purchasing managers’ index for manufacturing rose to 51.4 in August from 50.3 in July. The figure is a slight upward revision from the 51.3 previously announced, and pushes the sector further above the 50 index threshold that indicates month-to-month growth.

“Manufacturing in the euro area continued to show signs of recovery in August,” said Chris Williamson, chief economist at Markit. “What’s especially encouraging is that the upturn is broad-based,” he added.

BY JUAN O. TAMAYO
JTAMAYO@ELNUEVOHERALD.COM

Cuba-born New York high school teacher Alfredo Gómez says it was bad enough that he contracted cholera during a family visit to Havana this summer. Then he got a bill from the government hospital — $4,700.

Gómez’ complaint came as Havana reported that a total of 12 foreign tourists and 151 Cubans have come down with cholera in recent months – though Gómez says his hospital ward alone had six to 15 foreigners on every one of the six days that he spent there.

The Havana report on cholera, the second in August alone, seemed to hint at a growing transparency by Cuban officials who previously kept quiet about the disease in a bid to avoid damaging the island’s $2.5 billion-a-year tourism industry, experts said.

A bulletin Friday by the Pan American Health Organization said Cuba that same day had reported 163 cases in the provinces of Havana, Santiago de Cuba and Camagüey. PAHO, the hemispheric branch of the World Health Organization, indicated that those cases took place this year but gave no specific time frame.

Among those cases were 12 persons who had travelled to Cuba from other countries – three from Italy, two each from Germany, Spain, Chile and Venezuela and one from the Netherlands, PAHO noted. Cuba had reported six of those cases to PAHO earlier this month.

Independent journalists and visitors like Gómez have been reporting hundreds more cases never confirmed by Cuba, where the state-run news media virtually never uses the word “cholera” and instead refers to cases of “acute diarrheic diseases.”

Gómez, 49, who left Cuba in 1997 and now teaches math at the William Nottingham High School in Syracuse, N.Y., said he and two relatives were hit by intense diarrheas two days after they ate together at a state-run restaurant in Havana in late July.

Doctors at the Manuel Fajardo Hospital told them they had cholera, Gómez said, and transferred him to the Pedro Kouri Institute of Tropical Medicine, where the fourth floor of the hospital is reserved for foreigners who contract the disease.

Gómez said at least six and up to 15 foreigners were on the floor each of the six days he spent there, Aug. 4-10, receiving antibiotics and intravenous fluids for the disease, which is easily transmitted through water and can kill through dehydration.

That same week more than 60 Cubans were being treated in Kouri hospital wards reserved for island residents with cholera, he said, and a nephew told him that a large number of people had been struck by the disease in the Havana suburb of Mantilla.

The treatment fore foreigners at the hospital was very good and much better than the treatment for island residents, he added, but problems started when the foreign patients received huge bills as they were about the leave the hospital.

He heard two Spaniards on the phone with their insurance companies in Madrid trying to figure out how and what to pay, Gómez said. And he was pressured strongly to pay his own bill with his credit cards or through his U.S. health insurance policy.

“They really want to charge me, and they tried by all means that I should pay,” he said in a phone interview from Syracuse. “It was a rude, abusive attitude. They would not let met leave without paying.”

The bill he was shown was for $4,700 but he left without paying, he added, arguing that the U.S. embargo banned him from paying and that in any case his bill should be paid by the government-run restaurant where he contracted cholera.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/08/26/3587434/cuba-reports-more-cholera-among.html#storylink=CPU

Judging from the Miami Herald’s latest headlines, home prices in Miami keep soaring and tourists from Brazil, Argentina and Venezuela keep flooding this city thanks to their countries’ strong currencies. The big question is how much longer the fiesta will last.

If you look at the latest economic figures, you may conclude that it’s about to be over. Latin American currencies have depreciated rapidly in recent weeks, making it more expensive for Latin Americans to travel and buy properties abroad.

Over the past month, Brazil’s currency fell by nearly 10 percent relative to the U.S. dollar. Brazil’s Central Bank announced Friday that it will inject up to $60 billion into the economy over the next four months to keep the Brazilian currency from falling further.

Over the past 12months, Brazil’s currency fell by nearly 22 percent relative to the U.S. dollar, Argentina’s by 21.4 percent, Peru’s by nearly 8 percent, Chile’s by almost 7 percent, Colombia’s by 6 percent, and Mexico’s by 1.4 percent, according to the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB).

In the Caribbean, Jamaica’s currency fell by nearly 14 percent and the Dominican Republic’s by 8.4 percent over the same period, the IADB says.

The depreciation of emerging countries’ currencies has accelerated since Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke suggested June 19 that the U.S. economic recovery may allow the government to scale down its stimulus funds. That has led to the belief that U.S. interest rates will rise, and has moved investors to begin shifting money back from emerging countries to the United States, economists say.

Most international financial institutions tend to think that the decade of super-strong Latin American currencies has come to an end.

“The party is going to be over soon, if it’s not over already,” senior IADB economist Andrew Powell told me. “World interest rates that have been at historically low levels will not remain there; the growth rate of China in recent years is not sustainable, Europe still has its problems, and commodity prices will likely come down.”

The change could help Latin American countries in the long run, among other things because weaker currencies could make their exports more competitive abroad, economists say. But it will make their imports — as well as trips to Miami — more expensive.

“If the trend of depreciation of Latin American currencies of the past few weeks continues, we could see a drop in Latin American tourism and property purchases in the United States,” says Daniel Lederman, a senior World Bank economist specializing in Latin America.

But some private sector economists disagree, saying that they don’t expect a continued drop of Latin American currencies, nor a dramatic decline in tourism or real estate purchases in the United States.

“Miami shouldn’t lose any sleep,” says Alberto Bernal, head of research of Bulltick Capital Markets. “What we have seen in recent weeks is a normal correction within an ongoing boom.”

Bernal’s logic is that the fundamental factor behind Latin America’s strong currencies — the rapid urbanization of India and China, whose new middle-classes are consuming more Latin American commodities — remains unchanged. People in India and China will continue migrating to the cities for the foreseeable future, he says.

“This boom will end when China’s urbanization rate reaches 70 percent of its population, from the current 51 percent, and that process could last another fifteen years,” Bernal told me. “In the meantime, Latin America’s commodities will continue to be much coveted products.”

My opinion: I wouldn’t be surprised to see a further depreciation of Latin American currencies, especially in South America’s commodity exporting countries.

A recovering U.S. economy will draw more capital from emerging economies to the United States. And while China’s middle class will keep growing and consuming Latin American commodities, a trip to China a few months ago makes me wonder whether the country’s social tensions over corruption, pollution and other issues won’t result in political turmoil, and slower growth than currently expected.

Latin America’s commodity exporters should roll up their sleeves, increase productivity, draw investments and diversify their economies promoting non-traditional exports — all of which they should have started doing years ago.

Fortunately, many of them have built healthy foreign currency reserves, and have not incurred massive debts like the ones that led to the 1980’s financial crisis.

The party is over, but if they handle it well, it doesn’t need to be a traumatic awakening, neither for them nor for Miami.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/08/24/3581784/andres-oppenheimer-weaker-currencies.html#storylink=cpy

While the Obama administration is stepping up efforts encouraging uninsured Americans to enroll in health coverage from the new online insurance marketplaces, Kaiser Health News reports officials are planning a campaign to convince millions of seniors to please stay away – don’t call and don’t sign up.
To reinforce the message, the 2014 “Medicare & You” handbook – the 100-plus-page guide that will be sent to 52 million Medicare beneficiaries next month — contains a prominent- notice: “The Health Insurance Marketplace, a key part of the Affordable Care Act, will take effect in 2014. It’s a new way for individuals, families, and employees of small businesses to get health insurance. Medicare isn’t part of the Marketplace.”

Enrollment in health plans offered on the marketplaces, also called exchanges, begins Oct. 1 and runs for six months. Meanwhile, the two-month sign-up period for private health plans for millions of Medicare beneficiaries begins Oct. 15. In that time, seniors can shop for a private health plan known as Medicare Advantage, pick a drug insurance policy or buy a supplemental Medigap plan.
And in nearly two dozen states, some Medicare beneficiaries who also qualify for Medicaid may be choosing private managed care plans. None of these four kinds of coverage will be offered in the health law’s marketplaces.
Since many of the same insurance companies offering coverage for seniors will also sell and advertise policies in the marketplaces, people may have a hard time figuring out which options are for them.
While Medicare officials steer seniors away from the marketplaces, there is nothing in the health law that prevents beneficiaries from signing up for markertplace plans. f they do, they will not qualify for premium tax credits for the marketplace plans.
These plans may appeal to wealthy seniors – about 5 percent of Medicare beneficiaries — who pay higher premiums for Medicare based on their income and assets, said Cubanski. But for the vast majority of seniors, Medicare’s benefit package is better and more affordable compared to marketplace coverage.
Here are answers to the most common questions about Medicare and the new healthcare marketplaces:
— Will I lose Medicare coverage? No.

— Do I need a new Medicare card? No.
— Do I have to re-enroll in my Medicare Advantage or supplement plan through the marketplace? No, these policies are not sold in the marketplaces.
— Will seniors in Medicare have to buy supplemental insurance? No.

— Will I be fined if I don’t buy coverage in the health marketplaces? No. As long as you have Medicare Part A, which is free and covers hospitals, nursing homes and hospice, you already have insurance, so you are not subject to the penalty that most uninsured adults under 65 will have to pay. Read the story.

Posted by Patricia Borns at 11:18 AM in Healthcare Reform, Insurance

Read more here: http://miamiherald.typepad.com/health/2013/08/if-you-qualify-for-medicare-new-insurance-marketplaces-arent-for-you.html#storylink=cpy

On July 2, 2013, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced that penalties under the Employer Shared Responsibility provisions of Internal Revenue Code (“Code”) § 4980H and related reporting requirements under § 6055 and § 6056 of the Code have been delayed until 2015. IRS Notice 2013-45 provided details on this transitional relief, confirming that the relief is limited to the Employer Shared Responsibility penalty provisions and information-reporting requirements.

This transitional relief did not delay the requirement to provide notice to employees of Exchange coverage options. These notices must still be provided to all current employees by October 1, 2013.

By way of background, under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), individuals will be able to enroll in state or federally facilitated Health Insurance Marketplace (aka “Exchange”) coverage beginning October 1, 2013, with initial coverage beginning effective January 1, 2014. The ACA requires employers to provide a notice to current employees with information regarding their coverage options, including information on the Exchange by October 1, 2013, and, thereafter, to each new employee at the time of hire, or no later than within 14 days of an employee’s start date.

As a reminder, almost all employers are subject to the notice requirement, unlike the Employer Shared Responsibility provisions, which generally apply only to employers with at least 50 full-time equivalent employees. Employers must provide these notices to all employees, regardless of their plan enrollment status or whether they are part-time or full-time. Notices are not required for dependents or other individuals who are not employees.

The notices must include specified information about the services provided by the Exchange and how to contact the Exchange; information about the employer and any employer-sponsored coverage available; and must advise the employee of information he or she will need to gather in order to apply for coverage through an Exchange. Notices must be free of charge and can be sent by first-class mail, or electronically if the U.S. Department of Labor’s electronic disclosure safe harbor rules are met.1

For More Information

IRS Notice 2013-45
For additional details, see the May 10, 2013 Eye on Washington coverage of the ACA Section 1512 notice requirement
U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Technical Release 2013-02
Model Notice to Employees of Coverage Options (for employers who offer health plans)
Model Notice to Employees of Coverage Options (for employers who do not offer a health plan)
Additional information for employers regarding the Affordable Care Act is available at http://www.healthcare.gov and http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/healthreform