Farmers Insurance Discontinue Coverage Of A Insurer after Filing Tornado Claims

Farmers Insurance cancelled the coverage of Richard Perry, a Moore, Oklahoma resident after he filled two claims for tornado damage. He got a letter from the insurance company stating that they would be canceling his policy, effective in April.

In an interview he said it doesn't make sense to him, he called his local agent and the agent to him that the company would be more than happy to continue coverage on their vehicles but, due to the location of his home in a high risk area, it would be too high a risk to cover it.

The letter reads: "Unfortunately, we are unable to continue coverage, because the number of losses you have experienced exceed our acceptability limits."

The family filed claims on two occasions following tornadoes. Their first claim was in 2013, when the insurance company paid $1,615 for wind damage. The second came in March of 2015, when Farmers paid $7,746. Perry said most of that claim was paid out on his truck, which was damaged in the storm.

Under state law, an insurance company can't drop a policyholder for filing a single claim. But, companies can take action if a policyholder files two claims or more.

It's hard to trust an insurance company that will drop you like a hot potato when things are hard on you.


Farmers Insurance is Rated Worst!

Flood Insurance Policy: Tool to Estimate Flood Damages to your Home

With the recent extreme weather condition that battered the country a lot of homeowners have to deal with flooding. Officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency have repeated over and over, pitching flood insurance to homeowners.

If your house got flooded, usually there is a 30-day waiting period on most flood insurance policies, so you should really have one in place already. If you’re right on the water and you don’t have a mortgage, you should probably get flood insurance to cover yourself.

You should also make sure that your policy is rated properly, if your policy is not rated correctly and an adjuster find it out, you could have your claim adjusted to pay back for insurance that you should of been paying for, so double check with your insurance agent to make sure that you are rated properly.

All it takes is a few inches of water to cause major damage to your home, your appliances, and other contents.

If your home got flooded you can use this tool to estimate the damage caused by the flood inch by inch:



Also check "What does Standard Home Insurance cover?" and "Flood Insurance Policy"

UnitedHealth May Ditch Obamacare

Despite of UnitedHealth Group Inc. efforts to cut down on sign-ups their 2016 Affordable Care Act exchanges enrollment has surge and this caused the company significant losses.

UnitedHealth, which is the biggest U.S. health insurer said, they are expecting losses of more than $500 million on its 2016 Obamacare plans, compared with previous projections that amounted to $400 million to $425 million in losses.

The company has done some steps to reduce their exchange business exposure in anticipation of losses, like cutting down on marketing and slashing commissions to health-insurance agents.
However, enrollment still grew, widening their exposure. UnitedHealth Group Chief Executive Stephen J. Hemsley said the new projection reflected “prudence,” as the company sought to ensure it had covered all possible losses.

On Tuesday, the UnitedHealth reported their financial outlook for 2016, they expect $7.60 to $7.80 in adjusted earnings per share and at least $180 billion in revenue. Its shares closed up 3% at $112.58, as investors shrugged off the exchange comments amid strong results elsewhere in the company’s portfolio.

But UnitedHealth’s move comes amid continued worries about the exchange business—concerns that the company jump-started in November, when it disclosed expected 2016 losses and said it would consider withdrawing from the health-law marketplaces, a decision expected to be made later this year.

What would an exit by UnitedHealth Group mean for Obamacare?

It would mean higher premiums as well cost sharing for consumers, particularly in small markets where UnitedHealth is a big player.

Car Owners Don't want Insurance Companies to Track Them Even it they give Discounts

Car insurance companies like Progressive, Allstate, and State Farm are offering big discounts to car owners on their insurance however, it comes with a catch. They will place sensors in your car so that they can track your every move and driving habits.

The sensors will give insurance companies comprehensive data about how you drive your car, how far motorist drive, how often you hit the brakes, and record every time you exceed the speed limit. These data will give insurance companies information to identify safe drivers who are less likely to file a claim.

Insurance companies wants to create a database of these information about drivers to be able to accurately evaluate risk and customize each insurance policy to fit individual drivers. Unfortunately for them they will need customers to consent to having a tracking device in their cars, and a lot of people don't want it.

Insurance companies are temping car owners with plug-in devices and smartphone applications. They are also working with car manufacturers to be able to use their in-car computers as tracking devices. They also offer big discounts as high as 30%.


If you ask me, this is really creepy, if they can track your every destination they will know everything about you. Where you work, where your kids attend school, where you get your lunch etc.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2016

This new year holds numerous surprises. Be open to changes. The New Year is the time of unfolding horizons and the realization of dreams, may you rediscover new strength and garner faith with you, and be able to rejoice in the simple pleasures that life has to offer and put a brave front for all the challenges that may come your way. Wishing you a lovely New Year.

Merry Christmas! 2015

May the Holiday Season
bring only happiness and joy
to you and your loved ones.

Merry Christmas! 2015

Flood in Florida Keys Will Affect Property Values

Key Largo, USA - High tides that are peaking has turned the streets into swamps in the Florida Keys, it also brings swarms of annoying mosquitoes and smelly stagnant water. Residents are worried that this will be an impediment to the property values in the island chain.

Key Largo is the first and northernmost of the Florida Keys and just an hour drive from South Florida's two major airports. It is famous for scuba diving, snorkeling, an underwater hotel, sport fishing, eco-tours, beaches and fishing. The floods in Key Largo started late September.

Residents expected those floods but what they didn't expect were low lying streets to be swamped with 16 inches of salt water for nearly a month. Situation did improve in November, but heavy rains this December inundated those streets again.

Resident Narelle Prew, 49 who lived for 20 years on Adams Drive said it was "like a sewer". People living in the area have already signed petitions, voiced anger at community meetings and demanded that local officials do something, whether by raising roads or improving drainage.

"We are all concerned about our property values." She estimates that her home's market value at about a million dollars.


Henry Briceno a geologist at Florida International University said that, "It is like taking a peek at the future." Scientists will not be able to determine or predict exactly how fast sea levels will increase in the years ahead as the oceans warm and glaciers melt. Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact Sea Level Rise Work Group are expecting that water will go up to 10 inches above the 1992 average in the next 15 years and 26 inches by 2060. By 2060, if no action is done the sea level would wipe out 12% of property value in the Keys, a string of 1,700 small islands built on porous, prehistoric coral reefs, according to a 2011 report by Florida scientists.

Come 2100, since most of the islands are less than 6 feet or 2 meters above the current sea level, a 5 foot (1.5 meter) sea water rise in the Keys would wipe out 68% of property value in the area.

Currently, the real estate market in south Florida is flourishing and more than 50% of transactions are paid for in cash due to a surge of Chinese real estate investors. 

Lynda Fernandez, senior vice president of public relations at the Miami Association of Realtors said, "Our entire market area continues to experience record level sales activity and significant price growth, consistently since 2011." Sales are up 17% in Keys, the average home sale price is $512,000, up 3% from last year.

"So far we have not been seeing buyers being concerned with sea level rise, which I'm a little surprised given all the media attention it has garnered lately," said Lisa Ferringo, president of the Marathon/Lower Keys Board of Realtors.

Experts are sounding the alarm bells that in the next 15 years those investment will be washed away. As much as $15 billion could be lost in Florida property by 2030, according to Risk Management Solutions (RMS), a leading catastrophe risk modeling company which advises insurance companies.

Source

Insurance that You Don't Need

Insurance are important for our financial health and insurance that we should have are Health insurance, auto insurance, property and casualty insurance and life insurance. Some of them are mandatory and some are not, but in most cases they are. However, there are types of insurance that are not actually needed which is listed as "junk" insurance by the nonprofit consumer watchdog group Consumer Federation of America.

Here are some types of insurance that they considered junk:

Down payment insurance  

This is a new insurance product that will be on the market in January 2016. This insurance is designed to protect the down payment on your home if the real-estate market go under again.

ValueInsured, which is based in Dallas named this kind of insurance as +Plus. This is not for speculative buyers since the owner will need to live in the home and he/she cannot make a claim on the the insurance for 2 years, while it lapses after 7 years.

However, this type of insurance is for debtors who might have to move suddenly for a job, like military families, or move into marginal markets that are particularly volatile, such as Stockton, California which was hit by the worst price cut during the real estate crash with home values cut by half as a result of widespread foreclosures.

According to ValueInsured, about 8 million debtors still owe more than what their house is worth, compared with more than 15 million during the worst part of the real estate crash in 2012.

The price of this insurance is about $840 for a $20,000 down payment, and it will protect a down payment of up to $200,000 for a higher premium price. However, the policy will only activate if the market along with the value of your individual home falls 10% or more, as determined by the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s House Price Index, and then you only get back either the amount of equity you lost, or the actual down payment, up to $200,000.

Joe Melendez ValueInsured chief executive said that the aim of this product is to promote the housing market to millennials, renters and parents by attempting to ensure that their down payment is protected. This product is not for everyone. If you’re buying a home that you will live in for 30 years, don’t buy this product.

Debt cancellation or debt suspension agreements

A study published by Bankrate.com says that 37% of Americans have credit card debt greater than or equal to their emergency savings, meaning a steep medical bill, a car accident or other unexpected expense could push them over a budgetary cliff. Some credit card companies are offering insurance against being unable to come up with monthly payments.

This insurance that are offered by credit card companies is designed to pay your minimum balance for a period of time if you lose your job or are incapacitated or unable to work, either in the form of Debt Cancellation Contracts (DCC) or Debt Suspension Agreements (DSA). Other instances where the credit card companies can either cancel or suspend your monthly payment include divorce, military deployment or a natural disaster. If you die, the credit card company may pay off your entire balance, with other companies offering only up to a certain balance, such as $10,000.

The credit card companies say this helps protect a consumer’s FICO score, which otherwise would drop if the cardholder can't pay their dues.  While some credit card companies charged a flat fee of $19.99 a month for insurance coverage, others charged between 85 cents and $1.35 per every $100 of the outstanding balance and a national median fee of 89 cents per each $100 in the balance.

The GAO report noted that of the $2.4 billion collected in 2009, just $513 million went to consumers, while $1.3 billion went into the pocket of the credit card companies in the form of earnings once reserves of $574 million were set up.

Clearly these credit card insurances is a bad deal for consumers since if you lose your job you can apply for unemployment benefits immediately.

Home warranty insurance

This insurance covers existing appliances, regardless of age, make or model that are already in the house not just those newly purchased or replaced. Some insurance companies promise total coverage of all appliances and components in the house, like air condiotner, hot water heater, or a furnace for as little as $59 a month. However, most of this plan have deductibles like many other insurance products about $75 to $125 for those offered by American Home Shield. And the repairman that will do the work will get the minimum amount of work since the insurance company wants to limit the costs. Repairman ussually accept this kind of calls when things are slow.

Child insurance

Insurance plan like the Gerber Grow Up Plan and the Gerber Life College Plan are purchased by parents and grandparents when the baby is born and the premiums are really low while the cash value benefits are guaranteed.

The Gerber Life College Plan (endowment insurance policy) will give the policy holder a lump-sum payment at the end of the term which is about 18 to 21 years. It can be used for college, or used to fund an adult insurance coverage plan as long as premiums are getting paid. The company said its advantage is that the life coverage can continue automatically into adulthood without fear of cancellation. However distributions from the endowment insurance policies are often taxed, unlike the distributions of a 529 college savings plan or an education savings account.

Body parts

Most athletes and celebrities do this, they insured body parts, J. Lo insured her butt for $27 Million, Julia Roberts insured her smile for $30 Million, retired Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu insured his flowing locks for $1 million, and Holly Madison insured her breasts for $1 million.

These policies are just designed to be get attention by the celebrities’ publicists, so unless you’re a celebrity or an athlete or their agent you can safely pass on this one.

CDC has Warn the Public About the Deadly "Kissing Bug?" (Triatomine Bugs)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC has warn the public about the spread Kissing Bug throughout the United States. Kissing Bug are Triatomine Bugs, they are blood-sucking bugs that usually bites the face of their victims. These bugs carries a possibly fatal disease called Chagas.

The kissing bug recently made its way to Georgia, Alabama and California, although health officials said the insect has been around the U.S. since the 1850s.

The bug looks like a cockroach and it earned the name kissing bug since it feeds on the blood of mammals, usually by biting them on or around the lip. Chagas disease, which can be fatal if left untreated, according to the CDC. There are currently about 300,000 cases of Chagas in the U.S.

The bugs are typically found outdoors but they can tend to hide under beds and mattresses.

The CDC provided a map of states that have reported of the bug:

Source: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

How to avoid them: The CDC recommends synthetic pyrethroid sprays, this have been proven effective against the bug in Latin America. You can also seal all your windows, roofs and doors. It is also great to have screens over windows and doors, minimize yard lights as the bugs are attracted to light, seal all holes and cracks throughout the house, having pets sleep inside and regularly checking for the bugs is extremely helpful.

Obamacare: High Deductibles and Higher Premiums

Bad news for Obamacare enrollees, reports said that there will be an increase in the out-of-pocket costs for deductibles next year 2016 that will significantly diminish the benefits of consumers health care plans and this will further discourage some from purchasing coverage.

Robert Laszewski, president of Health Policy & Strategy Associates, said “That these deductibles are so high is clearly one of the reasons people aren’t buying a plan—they simply don’t see themselves getting anything for the money.”

People have until the end of the year to enroll themselves for the 3rd season of Obamacare. The government said that there are a lot of plans available with low premiums however, most of those plans requires you to pay huge out of pocket costs before they Obamacare coverage actually kicks in.

The average annual out-of-pocket costs per worker increased nearly 230 percent between 2006 and 2015, according to an annual survey of employer health benefits coverage by the Kaiser Family Foundation.

The New York Times report said that majority of the states and more than half the plans being sold on Obamacare insurance exchanges have a deductible of $3,000 or more.

Median deductible in Miami is $5,000. In Jackson, Miss the median deductible is $5,500. Chicago is $3,400. Phoenix $4,000. While in Des Moines, Iowa, it is $3,000.

It is also revealed by the government that Obamacare will not hit their 10 million target by next year. Also another problem hounding the Obamacare is the rising premiums for policies the median rate increase for the lowest priced, most popular “Silver” plan will rise by 11% compared to just a 7% increase in 2015.

Anbang Insurance Group of to acquire Fidelity & Guaranty Life US

Anbang Insurance Group Co., Ltd., a leading global comprehensive insurance group based in Beijing, China, will buy the Fidelity & Guaranty Life FGL, -1.64% ("FGL"), a leading provider of annuities and life insurance in the U.S. for about $1.57 billion as Chinese insurers seek to expand into the United States.

According to Anbang, they will pay $26.80 per share, a premium of 3% to the stock's Friday close.
Fidelity & Guaranty's stock was down 1% at $25.98 in early trading.

The purchase will turn Anbang as one of the largest insurers by market share in fixed indexed annuity products in the United States. It is expected that FGL's solid life and fixed indexed annuity platforms will enhance the growth of Anbang's business while accelerating FGL's ability to further extend its policyholder base.

Financial holding company HRG Group Inc, Fidelity & Guaranty Life's majority stockholder, has approved the deal. The deal is expected to close in the second quarter of 2016.

Affordable Care Act: 500,000 plus sign up for Insurance

More than 500,000 has already submitted their application to purchase insurance under the Affordable Care Act on healthcare.gov according to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Department spokesman Benjamin Wakana said that 250,000 applications were sent in the first 48 hours.

Enrollment for 2016 opened on November 1, 2015 throughout the country. They want to see if the number of uninsured people will drop. 28.5 million people in the US are still uninsured according to  the U.S. Centers for Disease Control's National Center for Health Statistics.

Texas topped the states with the most number of uninsured (20% or about 5 million people), followed by Alaska (17.2%), Florida (16.6%), Georgia (15.8%) and Oklahoma (15.4%).

Enrollment will continue up to January 31, 2015. Federal officials urge people to consider enrolling early or by mid-December to ensure uninterrupted coverage.

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween! I hope you enjoy all the fun festivities and have a super scary costume ready.
Save some candy for us!

Have a “spook”tacular Halloween!

Obamacare: Open enrollment Nov 1 to Jan 31

The open enrollment for health coverage under the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) will start on November 1 to January 31, 2015. This will be the 3rd year of health care sign-ups. Covered California officials said that there are still 2 million residents who are uninsured, primarily Latinos and African Americans and 36% of them don't know that they may be entitled to premium subsidies available under the Affordable Care Act. In contrast, only 16% didn't know about the tax penalty for lacking health coverage.

Covered California exchange have 500 storefront locations, they employ thousands of enrollment counselors, and have launched a $29 million advertising campaign and a statewide bus tour, to encourage more Californians to come under the health care umbrella.

They said that about 90% of the 1.3 million Covered California enrollees receive subsidies, and more than 200,000 people pay less than $50 a month thanks to that financial assistance.

For those who are uninsured tax penalties for not having health care coverage will increase again in 2016. Under the federal health care law, those without health insurance in 2016 may be subject to a federal tax penalty, which starts at $695 per person in a household or 2.5 percent of income, whichever is greater. For a family of four earning $70,000 a year that chooses not to purchase health care coverage for 2016, the tax penalty could be $2,085, according to Covered California.

For a family of three with an annual income of $61,021 living in Los Angeles I got these premium rates: Molina bronze $332, $0 monthly premium assistance, Oscar Bronze $396, Anthem Bronze $398 and Kaiser Permanente $403. Well, if you ask me those rate are expensive no wonder they are not signing up. If they just used the $29 million they pay for advertising in improving the discount then it would have been great.

Life Insurance Coverage 101

Know the basics on your life insurance coverage, since it is a long term investment that will protect your love once. Life insurance should be designed to fit your situation so it is not an "one size fits all." Most people, get the most coverage for the lowest cost as possible that they can afford.

There are two types of life insurance policies:

Term life insurance - this is basically a policy that gives death benefit for love once after you die. There are no other features.

Whole-life or permanent life insurance - this policy combines death benefit for love ones with a cash value that you can access while you are still alive.

Term insurance is a wise choice for younger and healthy people who are just starting out with life insurance since it is less costly. In term insurance you can keep your premiums as low as possible.

Married couple usually purchase this kind of life insurance to keep them secured financially in an event one dies. Most companies also offers this kind of insurance policy as added employee benefits. However, if you leave your company the policy will end.

Term insurance expires after a stated period of time or once you reach a specific age, so your love once is only secured during the stated term. This kind of life insurance is feasible only when you are young because they get much more expensive as you age.

Permanent life insurance has a number of kinds, that include traditional whole life, variable life, universal life or variable universal life. Just like the term insurance policy your beneficiaries will get paid when you die, the difference is that it doesn't have a stated termination date. If you have paid the adequate amount of premiums and the policy is in force, your love ones will receive the death benefit.

Premiums are higher and there are often have additional costs for permanent life insurance compared to term insurance policies. This type of life insurance also has cash value that accumulates as you pay premiums. Premium payments must be sufficient to avoid a policy lapse, but a portion of those payments accrue within the policy and can grow on a tax-free basis.

Before purchasing life insurance coverage make sure that you have assess every option there is and make sure that you have discuss your choices with a financial adviser.

AIG's Couture Insurance For Shoes and Designer Wardrobe Collections

You can now insure your expensive Louis Vuitton, Hermes, or Christian Louboutin thanks to AIG Private Client Group (a division of American International Group Inc. NYSE: AIG). The insurance company has introduced a more specialized insurance that is specifically designed for couture and designer wearable collections for its high net worth policyholders.

The new couture insurance product will give coverage not typically found in a homeowners policy and recognizes the high value placed on the fine craftsmanship of high-end designer fashions and wardrobe accessories.

It covers couture and ready-to-wear garments, shoes, handbags, and vintage and historic clothing. They will be individually itemized in the policy with the option to use blanket coverage for less expensive items. The insurance will cover damage caused by flood, mold, and moths, risks often excluded from a homeowners policy. Additionally, it covers custom, work-in-progress couture and shoes, as is reimbursement of expenses for clients who protect their couture by removing it from the home in advance of an impending threat.

Also, the insurance covers dry cleaning and wardrobe preparation expenses by a high-end garment care specialist following a covered loss. This is a common prerequisite for acceptance into a secure garment storage facility.

In developing this coverage, AIG worked with Garde Robe Online, LLC, a wardrobe storage and preservation service, to identify coverage features that would address real concerns for collectors.

New home sales In the US is Up by 5.7% in August 7-year high

Newly built homes being sold has posted the highest level since early 2008 in August, that's more than 7 years. This shows that the demand in housing is strengthening. New single-family homes sales were up by 5.7% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 552,000 according to the Commerce Department. The increase in sales is a result of steady job gains and low mortgage rates.  The real estate market hast been really hit hard by the Great Recession and recovered slowly even after the downturn ended in 2009. New-home sales have soared nearly 22% in the past year.

Strong sales in newly built home and construction could help the economy by generating construction jobs, demand for more building materials and more spending on landscaping and other services.

Home builders raised new-home prices aggressively last year, likely weighing on sales, which totaled just 414,000 in 2014. That was little changed from sales in 2013. But builders have reined in price increases this year, fueling more buyer traffic and purchases.

Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen said last week that she expects the housing market to keep improving as more people find jobs and younger Americans increasingly move out on their own.

Amazon Criticized for Toxic Working Environment, Amazon founder respond

Last Saturday an article on the New York Times blasts Amazon because of its working conditions in the company. Entitled "Inside Amazon: Wrestling Big Ideas in a Bruising Workplace" it exposed how the company pressured their employees with their “unreasonably high” standards. The report detailed the company's lack of empathy for employees' health-related issues. There were instances when employees that suffered from cancer, miscarriages and other personal crises said they had been evaluated unfairly or edged out rather than given time to recover. A woman employee who suffers with breast cancer was placed on "performance improvement plan" because personal issues were affecting her work.

And because of the backbreaking work and Amazon's penchant of extracting unreasonable work from their employees Amazon has expanded tremendously their campus is now a 10-million-square-foot with  thousands of new workers. Amazon has also eclipsed Walmart as the most valuable retailer in the US at $250 billion and their CEO Jeff Bezos is the 5th wealthiest person in the world.

Bezos responded with a memo to Amazon employees defending the culture at the company and encouraging employees who heard of similar stories to contact him as well as human resources.

He said, "Even if it's rare or isolated, our tolerance for any such lack of empathy needs to be zero," "The people we hire here are the best of the best. You are recruited every day by other world-class companies, and you can work anywhere you want."

Sucharita Mulpuru-Kodali, an Amazon analyst with Forrester Research said that "most of the allegations sound consistent with things that former employees have told me about the company."



- Work work work work, corporations greedy goal to accumulate more money and wealth are turning people into stupid zombies with no life. We are not robots mr CEO.

Pew poll: Japanese Thinks Americans are Lazy and Intolerant

According to a poll about U.S.-Japan relations conducted by Pew Research Center, Americans have a positive views of Japanese while the Japanese generally have negative views of Americans.

In the survey, people were asked five traits hardworking, inventive, honesty, intolerant, aggressive, and selfish. The results shows that Japanese people don't like Americans that well, while Americans do like Japanese.

What Americans think about Japanese people: hardworking 94%, inventive 75%, honest 71%, intolerant 36%, aggressive 31%, and selfish 19%.

How Japanese view the Americans: hardworking 25%, inventive 67%, honest 37%, intolerant 29%, aggressive 50%, and selfish 47%.

How to Claim Social Security Disability Insurance

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) serves as a lifeline for about a million of workers and their families in the country. It gives insurance protection to workers and their families when they retire or in case of a serious, long-term disability.

The benefits of Social Security Disability Insurance is modest. Beneficiaries of it get about $42,000 on average, based in 2014 wage levels.

Qualification for Online Application for disability benefits:

•     18 years old or above
•     You are not currently receiving benefits on your own Social Security record
•     You are unable to work because of a medical condition that is expected to last at least 12 months or result in death: and
•     You have not been denied disability benefits in the last 60 days. If your application was recently denied for medical reasons, the Internet Appeal is a starting point to request a review of the medical determination we made.

Here's How To Apply Online For Disability Benefits:

1. Print, review and gather the information needed in the Adult Disability Checklist.
2. Complete the Disability Benefit Application Online here.

Documents needed:

•     The date of your injury or illness;
•     The amount and effective date of your current payment and all increases or decreases within the last 17 months or, if later, since payments began;
•     if receiving workers' compensation, the type of payment (i.e., temporary partial, temporary total, permanent partial, permanent total, a lump sum or an annuity;
•     The frequency of your payments (e.g. weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, bi-monthly, etc.) or the period covered by a lump sum;
•     If benefits have already ended, the last day you were entitled to a payment and your last payment amount (if different than your regular payment amount);
•     Your employer's name and address; and
•     If other than your employer, the name and address of the insurance carrier making the payments.

Information needed:

 Information About You

•     Your date and place of birth and Social Security number
•     The name, Social Security number and date of birth or age of your current spouse and any former spouse. You should also know the dates and places of marriage and dates of divorce or death (if appropriate)
•     Names and dates of birth of your minor children
•     Your bank or other financial institution's Routing Transit Number [more info] and the account number, if you want the benefits electronically deposited

Information About Your Medical Condition

•     Name, address and phone number of someone we can contact who knows about your medical conditions and can help with your application
•     Detailed information about your medical illnesses, injuries or conditions: Names, addresses, phone numbers, patient ID numbers and dates of treatment for all doctors, hospitals and clinics;
•     Names of medicines you are taking and who prescribed them; and
•     Names and dates of medical tests you have had and who sent you for them.

Information About Your Work

•     The amount of money earned last year and this year
•     The name and address of your employer(s) for this year and last year
•     A copy of your Social Security Statement
•     The beginning and ending dates of any active U.S. military service you had before 1968
•     A list of the jobs (up to 5) that you had in the 15 years before you became unable to work and the dates you worked at those jobs
•     Information about any workers' compensation, black lung, and/or similar benefits you filed, or intend to file for. These benefits can:

        - Be temporary or permanent in nature;
        - Include annuities and lump sum payments that you received in the past;
        - Be paid by your employer or your employer's insurance carrier, private agencies, or Federal,     State or other government or public agencies; and
        Be referred to as:
           - Workers' Compensation;
           - Black Lung Benefits;
           - Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation;
           - Civil Service (Disability) Retirement;
           - Federal Employees' Retirement;
           - Federal Employees' Compensation;
           - State or local government disability insurance benefits; or
           - Disability benefits from the military (This includes military retirement pensions based on disability but not Veterans' Administration (VA) benefits.)

Once they receive your online application, they will:

•     Provide confirmation of your application- either electronically or by mail.
•     Review the application.
•     Contact you if we need more information or documentation.
•     Inform you if other family members may be able to receive benefits on your record, or if you may be able to receive benefits on another person’s record, such as your spouse or your parent.
•     Process your application.
•     Mail their decision to you.