Articles

Having good bodily injury liability coverage on your CO auto insurance

When taking out a CO auto insurance policy, bodily injury liability is not something you can afford to skimp on. Choosing the minimal coverage can have dire financial and emotional consequences in the future, were you to cause an accident and injure the other motorists or passengers in the car.

Bodily injury liability covers you for the costs associated with causing injury to others in a motor vehicle accident. Claims against bodily injury insurance include medical expenses, loss of income and emotional suffering. These policies can also cover legal costs associated with the accident. The expenses, as you can imagine, can be astronomical. Think about this when choosing a limit on your bodily injury liability protection.

If you opt for lower limits and you or someone driving your car causes a serious accident, the expenses you have to pay may exceed the limits you have set, meaning you could have to dip into your personal savings, borrow money or sell off property.

Medical costs are one of the main causes of bankruptcy in the U.S., and having bodily injury liability coverage might prevent you from ever being in this terrible position as a result of having a car accident.

Think carefully about the long-term consequences when considering what limit to set on your CO auto insurance policy. We don’t like to think about worst-case scenarios – but the main reason we take out insurance is to protect ourselves financially if one occurs.


Pet liability and your Colorado home insurance

Owning a dog is a big responsibility. Most owners of pets take this responsibility seriously, training their animals to behave well and enrolling puppies in special classes for young dogs. Nevertheless, dogs have a natural propensity to jump and bite, and although training may modify these tendencies, there is always a chance that a dog will misbehave if something or someone makes him overexcited or nervous.


Insurance companies have good reason to know that dogs can behave unpredictably: a good number of household insurance claims are dog-related. While some Colorado home insurance policies offer liability coverage for damage and injury caused by dogs, other insurers are not prepared to bear this risk. Some insurance companies require dog-owning homeowners to take out separate insurance policies for pet liability, and some insurers offer separate coverage only for certain breeds of dog. If you have a breed of dog that is considered dangerous, your insurer may not be willing to take the risk at all.


In many states, dog owners are legally responsible for death or injury that is caused by their pets, so if you own a dog, it’s essential to have pet liability coverage. This is a complex issue, so if you are uncertain whether or not pet liability is covered by your home insurance, check the inclusions and exclusions on your current Colorado homeowners insurance policy or call your agent or insurer to find out.

Colorado Health Insurance Reforms Focus on Women

Colorado Health Insurance Reforms Focus on Women

 

Over the past 12 months, many legislative changes have affected the Colorado Individual health insurance market. Many additional coverages are now mandatory and this may make Individual Health insurance an option worth considering. Here’s what you need to know:

·         Maternity is Required on All Plans

 

As of January 1, 2011 Colorado enacted House Bill 1021 offering maternity and contraception coverage on all health plans in Colorado. Prior to this bill being passed, maternity coverage was limited and more expensive to buy. This is a huge change, and a relief to many searching for a comprehensive maternity coverage outside of an employer plan. Of course, this will increase premiums and the interesting part of the law is it increases rates to males as well as females policies. Another important note is, you cannot opt out of the maternity coverage even if you are not planning or unable to have children.

 

·         Many New Preventive Coverages Added            

 

On the Federal level, we hear a lot about The Affordable Care Act passed March 23, 2010. Some call it health care reform, others call it Obamacare. One of the Authorized under provisions of the Act developed by a committee of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, expands the previous list of preventive services that must be covered without charging a copayment, coinsurance or a deductible to include:

·         Well-woman visits

·         Screening for gestational diabetes for all pregnant women

·         Human papillomavirus DNA testing for all women 30 years and older

·         Annual sexually transmitted infection counseling for all sexually active women

·         Annual counseling and screening for HIV for all sexually active women

·         FDA-approved contraception methods, sterilization procedures and contraceptive counseling

·         Breastfeeding support, supplies, and counseling, including costs for renting breastfeeding equipment

·         Domestic violence screening and counseling  

For more specifics on coverage changes, click the link below to be redirected to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services summary of these changes:

 

 http://www.hrsa.gov/womensguidelines/#footnote

 

These changes to Colorado Health Insurance is good news for many, and certainly promotes women taking a more active role in preventive care. Most carriers have taken modest increases, but individual health insurance remains a competitive option for most Colorado residents.