What does life insurance do? Simply put: provide peace of mind

You and I have similar purposes in the world. It is your job to provide food and shelter for your loved ones. Out of your hard earned money, will come the cost of my upkeep. A small price to pay to keep me alive. You may think I am worthless or a joke to you, but someday, you and I will trade places. When you are no longer alive, I will step up and become the provider to your loved ones.

Through me, your hard work will carry on. If ever you think I am a monthly cost burden, think of the financial protection I will provide for your family when you are no longer here on earth. When your income stops, I will take over. When your income stops, your family will be financially protected through me. Your family will thank you over again for having me in place.

Life does not wait for convenience.  Be prepared and make me part of your family.

Respectfully,
Your life insurance policy

Trisha M. Pacenti RN,BSN
www.nurseinsagent.com

Expenses will be incurred at your time of death: NO ONE IS IMMUNE

Final expense insurance is life insurance with a specific need. Final expenses largely make up funeral expenses. Your funeral is the very last expense you will incur. Having the money readily available to your family is part of estate planning. Final expense programs are estate planning.

Today you are in the best of health you will be. Purchasing now will qualify you for the best rate available at your current age. Life insurance is the least expensive insurance and offers the most value added benefit. If you are on a fixed income, chances are your beneficiary is too. Life insurance is protecting the beneficiary from financial catastrophe.

 

Life insurance is different than pre-need plans offered by funeral homes. Case scenario:  you purchase a life insurance policy with a face value of $10,000.  After only 1 premium payment, you become a victim of a fatal car accident or suffer a fatal cardiac arrest. The full value of $10,000 is available immediately to your beneficiary. The policy you took out in your estate planning is ready to be put to work. You have protected your beneficiary from facing a financial crisis.

 

Now, lets look at a pre-need plan. During your meeting with your funeral director he sells you a $10,000 pre-need plan with a monthly premium of $54.00. After only 1 premium payment you become a victim in a fatal car accident or suffer a sudden cardiac arrest. Your beneficiary is now responsible for paying $9,946.00 plus interest. If your family is cash strapped, where will that money come from? If you have outstanding bills that need to be paid, where will your beneficiary get that money? You have created a full financial crisis for your loved ones that they may never financially recover from. 

Procrastinating just adds to higher premium payments and not being prepared. Death does not wait. It is going to happen.  Funeral expenses are at an all time high and are expected to increase. Say you have enough money in the bank to cover a $10,000 funeral bill. In the interim, you suffer from a debilitating car accident or a mild heart attack. Your major medical insurance will pay the doctor and hospital, but you will have co-pays, prescription, fuel and household bills to pay. If you are on a limited income, you will burn through that $10,000 bank account. Leaving you with not enough money to pay funeral expenses when the time comes. By proscratinating, you have gained nothing. 

Estate planning is simple and easy to do. Just take the time and do it.

Good health,
Trisha M. Pacenti RN,BSN
www.nurseinsagent.com

Obesity gets a new diagnosis: It's a disease

The American Medical Association voted to recognize the condition impacting one in three Americans as a disease.

One in three American adults has a new disease diagnosis, whether they know it or not, because the American Medical Association has voted to formally classify obesity as a disease.

To read this article in it's entirety, please visit  http://news.msn.com/science-technology/obesity-gets-a-new-diagnosis-its-a-disease

Related: What's driving America's obesity epidemic?

Good health,
Trisha M. Pacenti RN,BSN
www.nurseinsagent.com

Why we need life insurance

Final expense life insurance is designed for a specific need. The face value of a life insurance policy is paid to the policyholder's beneficiaries at the time of death. In most cases, the money is received by the beneficiaries on a tax-free basis, and no additional fees need to be paid. The beneficiaries can use the money to pay the policyholder's final expenses such as funeral costs.

By covering funeral related costs the financial burden is removed from the equation and guarantees expenses will be paid without any money coming out of your loved ones' pocket. The average cost of funerals today are higher than $9,000. For just pennies on the dollar, life insurance is affordable for everyone.

To put the cost of life insurance in perspective, anyone who has cable or satellite TV your paying more for entertainment than you would for life insurance. If you have a car payment you have car insurance, those costs are higher than that of life insurance. If you have a cell phone, your monthly phone charge is higher than that of life insurance. The money spent on holidays: candy, meals, gifts, decorations over time are much higher than the cost of life insurance.

With the cost of living increasing and our budgets shrinking, life insurance is proven to be the financial comfort needed the most. If you are an individual who is on a fixed budget and living paycheck to paycheck, chances are your next-of-kin will be. Placing that multi-thousand dollar bill on your family could catapult them into financial ruin. Experiencing the death of a loved one is highly emotional. Worrying about how to pay for the funeral and end of life costs should not take precedence. Without a financial plan in place decisions are made that are not exactly how you or your family would have wanted if a plan had been in place.

There are many reasons to benefit from owning a life insurance policy but not 1 reason not to have a policy. The application process takes lesser amount of time than it does to grocery shop. In a just a few minutes you can be qualified and enrolled. Coverage begins after 1 monthly premium.

Respectfully,
Trisha M. Pacenti RN,BSN
www.nurseinsagent.com

Why do people smoke?

Smoking is linked to more deaths than any other disease in the world. When a "drag" from the cigarette is taken, toxins are immediately absorbed through oral mucosa then headed directly to into the bloodstream.  Inhaled cigarette smoke goes to the lungs where it displaces the oxygen molecule and leaves residue behind. This smoke is made up of 4,000 chemicals including cyanide, benzene, ammonia and carbon monoxide. These toxins in turn deprive cells the much needed oxygen to nourish, maintain and  grow new cells.  Smoking harms nearly every organ of your body and diminishes your overall health.

Here are some reasons smokers have given me for why they smoke.

"I know of a guy who smoked for 50 years and they never had a health issue." My response: How do you know what their health status is? Are you a doctor? Are you in the medical exam room with the person? This does not mean you will be as lucky.  And what does that person's choice have to do with your life?

"Smoking helps me cope, it's a habit."  Response:  Learn healthy ways of coping.  When your routine calls for a cigarette, do something different. Go for a walk. Take up a hobby. Meditate. Read.
"I'm not ready to quite." "I will quite the first of the month." Response: Why procrastinate? Quit now. What is so special about the first of the month? Each cigarette you smoke you are increasing risk of cardiovascular and respiratory events. Stroke, high blood pressure, heart attack, asthma, chronic bronchitis, respiratory disease. The first of the month sounds like fun! In all essence, your not serious about quitting smoking your just buying 30 more days of your love with smoking. And when the first of the month arrives, so does another excuse and another scratch of the match. 

"Smoking keeps weight off." FACT: No it does not. You are not eating as much because your sense of taste is dulled. Your taste buds are layered with tobacco resin.

"I smoke to be social." Response: You are caving in to peer pressure. Try this. Be courageous and not follow what everyone does. You can be social just by being there.
"I have an addictive personality." "I have stress in my life ." Response:  Everyone has stress in his/her life. No one is stress free. We learn healthy ways to cope with the stress in our lives. By adding smoking to the mix of an already stressed internal body environment, only makes the effects of smoking worse. Go for therapy.

 People living with mental illness have a higher rate of smoking than those without mental illness. If you are taking anti-depressants, this enough should make you want to quit. Speak with your mental health professional about the effects of smoking and taking MAO inhibitors.

"Smoking makes me feel good." Response: Smoking releases "feel good hormones" because you are doing something that you believe makes you feel good. The harsh reality is these "feel good" hormones are causing harm. Your body has become physiologically addicted to nicotine.
This addiction will cause fatigue and illness.

"I'm having money problems. Smoking helps me cope." Response: Again. Learn new coping skills. If money is tight and the health effects of smoking don't interest you, then stop misappropriating  funds.  Simple economics dictates if your financially strapped, re-allocate funds to the necessities in life. Learn to make your dollar work and spend wisely. If you are a pack a day smoker of an off-brand cigarette, your monthly cost is approximately $166.00. Double that for more than one pack a day. Branded cigarettes are costing you $224.00. Double that respectively for more than 1 pack a day.  If you quite smoking, you will soon see the hundred dollar bills. Economics 101!

"I'm going to die anyway, so why should I quit." "Smoking is not the reason I'm on oxygen and take steroids to help me breath. Having a smoke helps me."  Response: True. You are going to die. So why quicken it? What is it about a healthy lifestyle that turns you off?  On what scientific rationale eluded you to this conclusion?

Bottom line, you must want to quit. Anything else is just an excuse to keep smoking.  Switching to a smokeless or chew product will not eliminate your risk of smoking-related diseases. There is no safe tobacco product. You have a choice. Only you can make it happen. Playing the blame game fools yourself. Not those around you. To those around you, you look the fool.

With all the literature on the side effects of smoking available, common sense tells you to quite smoking. This information is easily found at your fingertips, in front of your eyes and spoken from your doctor.

Be informed. Be educated. Be smart.

Take the first step to a smoke free life. Call your doctor, visit  www.nami.org and www.who.int Only you are in control of your life.

Good health,
Trisha M. Pacenti RN,BSN
www.nurseinsagent.com

Affordable Health Care Act...affordability TBD

The Affordable Health Care Act also known as Obama Care is now law. Health care reform is to help all. If you are one those people who has no health care coverage because you can't afford it, you will be mandated to get coverage by Janurary1, 2014. If you do not have coverage by that date you will be fined at tax season. You will soon find yourself under a mountain of debt imposed by the US government if you choose to go without insurance. If you are already in a financial bind, the smart thing to do is to find health care coverage..do due diligence.. and re-allocate funds to help pay your way. The fines will continue to increase during the times you are not covered. Ask yourself, do you want to pay monetary fines from your own pocket and give it to the US government or do you want to be pro-active and accountable for your own health and finances and get health care coverage?

While insurance premiums continue to increase at a faster rate than personal earnings, one of the provisions of Obama Care includes reforms such as reducing the amount by which insurance companies can increase their premiums. Insurance companies can easily hide those fees in other benefits of the policy such as increasing co-pays, limiting office visits and/or decreasing benefit coverage.

Additionally, radiological facilities that offer CT scans, X-rays and MRI's will collect their fee from you first before rendering services. So will outpatient laboratories. They will do this if you have not met your calendar year deductible and/or the benefit coverage you have is significantly limited. This can quickly add up to thousands of dollars coming out of your pocket. Need to be admitted to the hospital? You will receive a bill from multiple sources above and beyond what the insurance will accept. If coverage is thin now for you, a financial catastrophe from medical bills is sure to come. 

If you decide to follow through with a medical treatment plan your physician prescribes and you lack coverage...YES... you are financially responsible for making payment. If you choose not to pay health care bills, your credit will be ruined. Where will the money come from? A coin jar in the local coffee shop? Health care in the US is expensive and continues to increase in cost. Someone somewhere along the way pays for someone else. When the wallet is pinched, nothing more can be squeezed out.

While laws are complicated to understand as are insurance policies, take time to learn all you can to protect yourself. Everyone will benefit when you take measures to financially protect yourself.

Visit www.healthcare.gov to learn more about the timeline, read the law, review and compare  insurance policies in the marketplace.

Good health,
Trisha M. Pacenti RN,BSN
www.nurseinsagent.com

Life Insurance: know what your buying

When you are buying life insurance, make sure you know what type it is and how the policy is structured. What is the difference between term and whole life?

 Term insurance ends at term. If you outlive the end of term insurance, all the premium you paid for the last 10 or 20 years is gone. It does not build cash value. You do not receive premium paid in.  It does not renew. You must go through the application process again.  This time 10 or 20 years older and at higher premium. One of the deciding factors of premium is age. The older you are the higher the premium. If you outlive your term insurance even 1 month past when the term is up, too bad. If you don't have another policy in place, then you have no life insurance to cover funeral expenses and other death related expenses. The financial burden will placed upon family members left behind.

The final expense programs Monumental Life offers are guaranteed that premium will never change and will provide funds to your survivors when they need it most as long as premiums are up to date. Monumental Life offers whole life policies. Whole life policies build cash value and outlive you. At the time of your death, the policy comes alive and provides the monies necessary to cover funeral and other death related expenses. Additionally, whole life policies offer living benefits.

Beware of programs that have a decreasing death benefit. While premiums typically remain unchanged, the amount of coverage you leave your loved ones can be drastically reduced. The final expense programs Monumental Life offers have guaranteed death benefit that will never decrease.

Beware of companies that have association fees. They will market guaranteed premium programs disguised with other fees. The life insurance premium rate is guaranteed but the association fees can increase at the company's discretion. The final expense programs offered by Monumental Life have no association fees. Therefore, the rates will never increase.

Does your current life insurance cover you for both accident and illness? If your death is caused by illness and your life insurance is accident only, your family will not collect the death benefit from that policy.

Monumental Life offers programs that cover both accident and illness. There is no waiting period and coverage begins after the first month's premium is collected. Death does not wait until you are ready. Be prepared and be completely covered. The application process is quick and easy. You are at your healthiest and youngest you will ever be. Now is the time to start the application process and financially protect your loved ones. 

Please visit www.monlife  to learn more about our company.

Trisha M. Pacenti RN,BSN
www.nurseinsangent.com