Altshuler Insurance Services, Inc

01/08/2026

If you own life insurance and are over age 65, with health conditions, and don't either need it anymore or can't afford it, give me a call. I am a licensed Life Insurance Settlement Broker. I will negotiate the best deal by selling your policy and getting CASH for you to spend on anything that makes you happy.. Best not to do it on your own by calling one company directly. There are lots of adds on TV. You won't get the best payout.

03/25/2024

This is exactly why the democrat party has gone so far left. Sounds great doesn't it? Bernie Sanders is a far lefty. In order to gain his support in the 2020 election, Biden was forced to agree to pursue some of Sanders far left agenda. I don't know if below was one of them, but Sanders will never quit this his wild and miscalculated ideas. Here is one discussed below. It won't work.

Sanders wants the U.S. to adopt a 32-hour workweek

03/24/2024

This is what Mayor Gloria and his horrible city council is doing to San Diego. Get ready. It could happen next door to you too.
We must vote Gloria and his council out of office in November and bring safety and quality of living back to our neighborhoods.
This is the only way we change the future of development in San Diego and protect the density of our neighborhoods.

Long gone are the days of granny flats for a family member to live in or to rent out for some extra cash.Accessory Dwelling Units, known as ADUs can be huge ...

04/20/2023

Please read the attached article. I don't think many Californians know what's going on in Sacramento. Newsom and the democrat run State of California have submitted a bill to eliminate medicare and med-i-cal in favor of a government run system. Read below.

View as Webpage SB 770 UPDATE AFTER THE HEARING Thank you to those members that called in to share our opposition to SB 770, which would create a workgroup to petition the federal government to redire

01/11/2023

California is ranked 22nd in the country for overall health – a decline from its ranking of 12 in 20191 – according to America’s Health Rankings 2022 Annual Report. Below is a summary of the positive and negative factors that contributed to this ranking.2

California health struggles
Low percentage of low birthweight infants
Low prevalence of multiple chronic conditions
High supply of mental health providers
23% increase in flu vaccination coverage from 33.8% to 41.5% of adults between 2018 and 2021

California health challenges
High economic hardship index score
Low supply of primary care providers
High percentage of households experiencing severe housing problems
43% increase in drug deaths from 15.7 to 22.4 deaths per 100,000 population between 2019 and 2020
36% increase in mental health distress from 10.6% to 14.4% of adults between 2016 and 2021

08/18/2022

Please note, the Inflation Reduction Act will creates audits for many more than Washington is telling use. The important takeaway here is HOUSEHOLD incomes of more than $400k have many times over an increase potential for audit. We've all been told no one making less that $400k will get audited.

Below was provided to me through a service I subscribe called HR Service, Inc.

"Impact of the Inflation Reduction Act on Employers We have been receiving questions regarding the recently-passed Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022.

Good news for employers and insurers: this Act has very little immediate impact on employers. Here are the main things to be aware of:

ACA Subsidies
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) expanded Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies through 2022. The IRA extends these subsidies for three more years, through the end of 2025.

As a result of these higher subsidies, employers who fail to offer affordable health care plans may see an increase in ACA utilization by their employees, thus leading to a higher frequency of receiving penalty notices from the Internal Revenue Service.

It is expected these subsidies could be made permanent at a later date. This could lead to an increasing number of Americans choosing to sign up for health care coverage under the ACA, which in turn may have an impact on health care plan costs in the future. It may also lead to new types of allowable health care plans or reimbursement strategies.

Prescription Costs
The IRA will reduce the cost of prescription drugs under Medicare Part D by allowing the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to work with pharmaceutical providers on pricing. It will also place a cap on insulin costs under Medicare Part B.

There is speculation that the costs for these medications could be passed along indirectly to employer groups via cross-subsidization strategies. The Transparency in Coverage (TiC) regulations may prevent or mitigate some portion of this increase. However, the portions of TiC related to prescription drugs have been challenged by the pharmaceutical industry in court. No final determination has been made on any of those challenges as yet.

Internal Revenue Service
The IRA allocates $80 billion to the Internal Revenue Service for hiring additional staffing, with $45.6 billion specifically allocated to enforcement activities. While this increase will clearly lead to more auditing activities (private individuals and families, as well as corporations), over half of the IRS’ current workforce is expected to reach retirement age in the next ten years.

The hiring that will be done as a result of the IRA allocation will temporarily swell the IRS workforce. However, as retirements come into place, this hiring bubble will gradually subside. During the bubble period, it is reasonable to expect that auditing will increase. Households with annualized incomes of less than $400,000 are not expected to experience increased auditing levels."

07/07/2022

Covered California Information:

Health Net Covered California
Small Business Group Updates
Health Net Life Insurance Company Small Group PPO plans will no longer be offered in the Covered California for Small Business (CCSB) marketplace beginning on January 1, 2023. Here’s what you need to know:
• Rest Easy: Existing employer groups and members will keep their CCSB Health Net PPO plan until the end of their plan year in 2023. New groups can continue to enroll through December 2022.

• At renewal in 2023, they will need to pick a new CCSB plan with another carrier or the Employer Group may consider other Health Net options off Exchange.

• Health Net PPO plans will be available off Exchange through Health Net of California, Inc. in 2023 and we are working hard to offer our members coverage in comparable plans.

• Your employer groups and their employees will be notified of their plan updates via US mail. These letters began mailing June 28, 2022, 180 days prior to the plan closure date, based on their effective dates. Download a sample of the Health Net CCSB Employer Group and member plan closure letters:

06/14/2022

PICORI Fees and what you should know. Please note. This is not a monthly but rather an anual charge. It's small but does ad to the already high premiums we all pay.

They are included in the premiums for small group health insurance and part of Obamacare regulations. The fee is built into the premiums you pay and forwarded by your health plan sponsor. The fees are contribution to medical research. In 2012 the charge was $1.00. In 2022, it's $2.79.

The IRS has announced that the amount used to calculate the PCORI fee for plan years ending on or after October 1, 2021, but before October 1, 2022, including 2021 calendar year plans, is $2.79 per covered life. For 2021 plan years ending on or before September 30, 2021, the PCORI fee due in 2022 remains at $2.66 per covered life. Sponsors of self-insured health plans are required to file and pay the applicable fee by July 31, 2022.

Download this FYI as a printable PDF.(Opens in new tab)

Background
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) imposed a fee on health insurers and plan sponsors of self-insured group health plans to help fund the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). The PCORI fee was first assessed for plan years ending after September 30, 2012. The fee for the first plan year was $1 per covered life, increasing to $2 per covered life in the second year, and then indexed in subsequent years based on the increase in national health expenditures. (We’ve included a table below summarizing the ACA indexed dollar amounts and limits for 2022 and prior years.) Insurers and plan sponsors were required to remit the PCORI fee by July 31 of the calendar year immediately following the last day of the plan year.

Although the ACA provided that the PCORI fee would not be assessed for plan years ending after September 30, 2019, legislation passed in 2019 extended the PCORI fee for an additional 10 years. (See our December 20, 2019(Opens in new tab) FYI Alert.)

Updated PCORI fee
The IRS announced in Notice 2022-04(Opens in new tab) that the amount used to calculate the PCORI fee payable for plan years ending on or after October 1, 2021, but before October 1, 2022, is $2.79 per covered life. For 2021 plan years ending on or before September 30, 2021, the PCORI fee due in 2022 is $2.66 per covered life.

The IRS Form 720 report and corresponding PCORI fee payment for plan years ending in 2021 is due by July 31, 2022. (Since July 31 falls on a Sunday we expect that the payment will be due by August 1, 2022.) While all plan sponsors of self-insured group health plans will pay the PCORI fee in 2022, the amount upon which the fee is based depends on when the plan year ends as described in the following table.

Plan year ending in 2021 PCORI Fee per covered life for July 31, 2022 payment
Plan years ending on or after October 1, 2021, through December 31, 2021, including calendar year plans
$2.79

Plan years ending on or after January 1, 2021, through September 30, 2021 $2.66
ACA indexed dollar amounts and limits
The table below summarizes the ACA indexed dollar amounts and limits for 2022 and prior years.

ACA indexed dollar amounts
Out-of-pocket maximums (1,8) PCORI
fee (2,5) Health FSA salary reduction cap (3,8) Employer shared responsibility annual assessments (1,4,6,7)
Self-only Other than
self-only 4980H(a) – Failure to offer coverage 4980H(b) – Failure to offer affordable, minimum value coverage Affordability threshold under 4980H(b)
2022 $8,700 $17,400 Not available $2,850 $2,750 (est.) $4,120 (est.) 9.61%
2021 $8,550 $17,100 $2.79 $2,750 $2,700 $4,060 9.83%
2020 $8,150 $16,300 $2.66 $2,750 $2,570 $3,860 9.78%
2019 $7,900 $15,800 $2.54 $2,700 $2,500 $3,750 9.86%
2018 $7,350 $14,700 $2.45 $2,650 $2,320 $3,480 9.56%
2017 $7,150 $14,300 $2.39 $2,600 $2,260 $3,390 9.69%
2016 $6,850 $13,700 $2.26 $2,550 $2,160 $3,240 9.66%
2015 $6,600 $13,200 $2.17 $2,550 $2,080 $3,120 9.56%
2014 $6,350 $12,700 $2.08 $2,500 $2,000 $3,000 9.50%
2013 n/a n/a $2.00 $2,500 n/a n/a n/a
2012 n/a n/a $1.00 n/a n/a n/a n/a
Notes:

Indexed to increase in average per capita premium for U.S. health insurance coverage in prior calendar year; out-of-pocket maximum does not apply to grandfathered plans or retiree-only plans
Indexed to increases in national health expenditures. Note: Because HHS did not publish updated national health expenditures tables for fiscal year 2021, the most recent PCORI fee update was calculated using last year’s projections
Indexed for CPI-U
One-twelfth of annual amount assessed on monthly basis; no assessments for 2014
Applicable dollar amount affected by when plan year ends; no assessment for plan years ending on and after October 1, 2029
Applies on a calendar year basis
Affordability threshold adjusted consistent with Code Section 36B(b)(3)(A)(i)
Applies on a plan year basis
n/a Not applicable

06/25/2021

IMPORTANT CALIFORNIA MANDATE FOR ALL BUSINESSES WITH OVER 5 EMPLOYEES.

If you’re not familiar with the new CalSavers Program mandated by the State of California, the link below will explain what you need to know and how to take action. I suggest reading the FAQ’s first.

Cal Savers applies to businesses with 5 or more employees that do not have a qualified retirement program such as a 401k plan. Non-profits are NOT exempt while religious organizations are exempt. All businesses who qualify with 5 or more employees must register. Businesses with a qualified retirement plan must register as “exempt”.

Once an employer registers, qualified employers will be required to automatically deduct 5% from all employees pay checks. The State will place the money in an account designated for each employee. Employees have a right to opt out of the plan but must opt out to stop the 5% contribution. Employers do not contribute to the plan and there are no administration fees. Employers with more than 50 employees are required to register before June 30, 2021 while employers with 5 or more employees have until June 30, 2022.

There will be warnings sent to businesses that do not register or comply. The fines for non-compliance are heavy. I’m providing this information because most businesses don’t seem to know about this mandate or the informational website from the link below. I would contact the CalSavers plan with any questions. I’ve copied the information about non-compliance fines below.

“Per Government Code Section 100033(b), each eligible employer that, without good cause, fails to allow its eligible employees to participate in CalSavers, on or before 90 days after service of notice of its failure to comply, shall pay a penalty of $250 per eligible employee if noncompliance extends 90 days or more after the notice, and if found to be in noncompliance 180 days or more after the notice, an additional penalty of $500 per eligible employee”.

CalSavers is California’s new retirement savings program designed to give Californians an easy way to save for retirement. Visit our website today to learn how you can create a better path to retirement.

06/14/2021

Here's a good alternative to your current prescription drug plan with under your group or individual medical plan.

Go on line. Check out Good RX. For example the price for Albuterol on Good RX is around $23. I would compare Good RX to your current health plan for every prescription.