Group health products

Group Health and Major Medical
The Locklin Group uses all major group health providers depending on the needs of you and your employees. We will analyze your needs and provide impartial objective advice with a view to improving coverage and reducing cost. Some of the companies include:

• UPMC
• Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield
• Hartford Insurance
• HealthAmerica
• Aetna
• AFLAC
• Prudential Insurance Company

Health Saving Accounts (HSA’s)
Skyrocketing healthcare costs has forced employers to look for other options to traditional healthcare programs. High deductible and larger co-pay plans have helped employers control escalating healthcare costs, but this has increased the financial burden to employees. Health Saving Accounts (HSA) are the most innovative approach to health care financing in years that can help employees manage health care costs.

A key advantage of HSA’s is your employees do not pay tax on the funds deposited in their account. When employees look at the money that can be saved with a Health Savings Account, it's easy to see why it's the smartest way for employees to pay for their out of pocket health care expenses.

Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA’s)
Flexible spending accounts (FSA’s), which are governed by Section 125 of the Internal Revenue Code, provide an opportunity for your employees to save for unexpected medical costs, for benefits not covered by their employer-provided insurance package, or for expenses associated with the care of dependents, before paying taxes.

The process of setting up an FSA is not complex. Every employer is eligible to offer an FSA, and every employee in an organization that offers an FSA is eligible to contribute money to the plan. Generally, there are two types of flexible spending accounts, a medical and dental flexible spending account, and a dependent care account. Learn how the Locklin Group can set up FSA’s for your employees.

Dental
Our Dental Insurance Providers offer superior customer and claims service and a national network of dentists that provides access to affordable, high quality care. Dental Insurance is a benefit that employers can readily afford and employees really appreciate.

Vision
Sight is the number one sense and it's only logical that a high-quality vision plan can add significant value to your overall benefits strategy. Plans may include eye exam, glasses, frames, contact lenses and LASIK.

Prescription Drug
Prescription drug coverage is a very attractive option often added to group health care coverage. There are several features to consider but the most popular plans allow Members to receive up to a 90-day supply of medication at participating retail or mail order pharmacies. Co-payment options could be flat-dollar, fixed-percentage and variable-dollar for members. There is always considerable cost savings from network pharmacies and reimbursement levels well below average wholesale prices.

Short and Long Term Disability
Short Term Disability insurance plan helps you replace a portion of your income when you're initially disabled—usually three to six months. Disabilities that result from a work-related illness are usually not covered. In addition, any period of disability that exists at the same time as a work-related illness or injury is usually not covered.

Long Term Disability coverage usually begins where the short term insurance policy leaves off, replacing a portion of your salary if you become disabled. It can be paid entirely by the employer, by employees or the cost can be shared. Disabilities due to mental illness and/or disabilities based primarily on self-reported symptoms may have a limited pay period during your lifetime. There are several exclusions that may vary by state.

The conventional wisdom is that disability insurance today is becoming increasingly important. In fact, many industry experts are advising individuals that disability insurance is as important and even more important than life insurance. Caring for a disabled person over a long lifespan can be financially catastrophic.

COBRA Administration
COBRA is a law that requires organizations with 20 or more employees to offer the continuation of group health benefits to employees and their covered dependents upon experiencing a "qualifying event,” like job separation. COBRA law is very strict and companies can pay significant fines just for missing one of the many COBRA deadlines. For a small business (or any business) this can mean survival or failure.

Employers are required to provide initial COBRA notification to covered employees and dependents, a letter detailing an individual's rights upon experiencing a "qualifying event," and an explanation of the conversion privilege. Having the Locklin Group administer this program for your company will allow you to focus on running your business, not worrying about the law.

Section 125 Plans
(see Flexible Spending Accounts)

Long Term Care
Long Term Care includes a wide range of medical and support services for people that can no longer care for themselves. Some examples include individuals with Parkinson's, or those with prolonged illness such as cancer, or cognitive disorders like Alzheimer's, and stroke victims.

Long Term Care provides an individual assistance with activities of daily living or supervision of someone who is cognitively impaired. Benefits are paid for individuals that cannot perform certain activities of Daily Living (ADL’s). Some examples of the activities include:

• Getting out of bed
• Bathing
• Using the toilet
• Getting dressed
• Feeding yourself

While we are healthy it is easy for us to take for granted the above Activities of Daily Living (ADL's). However, when you or a loved one is stricken with a degenerative condition such as a stroke or Alzheimer's, performing these ADL's becomes impossible without the assistance of another person.

Long Term Care can be provided in many settings including nursing homes, your own home, assisted living facilities and adult day care. Due to advances in modern medicine people are living longer but may not live near children that can help care for them in their golden years.

Self –Funded Plans
Self-funded plans provide small employers the opportunity to save on health care expenses by directly funding expected claims and buying stop loss insurance for excess claims. These plans often offer a value proposition for small employers that are disadvantaged by small group rate regulation. In community rated and limited rate band states, small employers with expenses less than the norm often must pay substantially higher premiums to subsidize groups with health problems. Self-funded plans are designed to provide an alternative that helps these groups capitalize on their good health and low health care costs.