Possible Freezing Rain Tomorrow - Prepare Your Home for the Cold Weather

With plenty of snow and cold temperatures predicted this winter, it is important to prepare your home and review your insurance coverage.

Water damage, which can be caused by snowy conditions, and freezing account for almost 22 percent of all homeowners insurance claims and are the third-largest cause of catastrophe losses, behind only hurricanes and tornadoes. Standard homeowners and renters policies cover winter related damage, such as that caused by burst pipes, ice dams and wind, as well as damage caused by either weight of ice or snow.

Coverage for flooding, including flooding caused by melting snow, should be considered.  Melting snow can also overburden sewer systems, causing raw sewage to back up into the drains in your home. Backed up sewers can cause thousands of dollars in damage to floors, walls, furniture and electrical systems. Sewer back-up coverage can be purchased either as a separate product or as an endorsement to your homeowners or renters policy.

Beyond making sure you have the proper insurance coverage, there are also steps you can take to protect your home before the official start of winter on Monday, December 21, 2015.

Outside Your Home

• Clean out gutters. Remove leaves, sticks and other debris so melting snow and ice can flow freely. This can prevent ice damming, a condition in which water seeps into the house, potentially damaging ceilings and walls.
• Install gutter guards to prevent debris from entering the gutter and interfering with the flow of water away from the house and into the ground.
• Trim trees and remove dead branches. Ice, snow and wind can cause weak trees or branches to break and damage your home or car, or injure someone walking by your property.

Inside Your Home

• Add extra insulation to attics, basements and crawl spaces. If too much heat escapes through the attic, it can cause snow or ice to melt and then re-freeze on the roof resulting in an ice dam that can cause significant roof damage. Well-insulated basements, crawl spaces and unfinished rooms, such as garages, protect pipes from freezing
• Provide a reliable back-up power source. In the event of an electrical outage, continuous power will keep your home warm and prevent frozen pipes. Consider purchasing a portable generator to ensure your household’s safety.

Contact MIM for a review of your insurance policies, which is always a good idea this time of year, regardless of the temperatures!

5 Ways to Protect Your Home from Flooding

Floods are a common challenge that many Pacific Northwest home owners will face at one time or another. However, by keeping your home in good repair, moving valuables out of water’s way, and creating good drainage around your home, you can stop or reduce potential flood damage.

Unless your house sits at the highest point atop a mountain and your yard slopes downward, you are a potential victim of flooding.

That doesn't mean it's time to give up and buy a canoe. You have options to protect the place from floods.

1.Clean Out Gutters

Leaves, twigs, and other debris that has been dropped by birds or the wind can quickly build up in your gutters. Go around your house and make sure the gutters are clear of any leaves or debris to keep leaking and clogging to a minimum.

2.Reattach Loose Gutters

After years of powerful wind and weather, your gutters may not be as securely fastened to your roof as they once were. Make sure they are tightly secured to decrease the possibility of detachment.

3.Extend Gutters and Downspouts

Keeping water away from your foundation is critical during a downpour — extended gutters and downspouts will keep that rain water far away. A downspout should extend at least three feet from the foundation of your home — gutters work best when 7-8 inches wide. These changes will decrease the likelihood of your home's foundation from being saturated, which could lead to a flooded basement.

4.Cover Window Wells

Covering your window wells will prevent water and debris from filling the area if a gutter clog occurred during the storm. Check these window wells often during the storm in case of leakage.

5.Keep Storm Drains Clear

After gutter cleaning, you might have a lot of debris to dispose of — consider putting that debris in eco-friendly yard bags to keep streets clear. Dumping the waste on the side of the street will clog storm drains alongside the road and put a strain on your local resources and services. Do your streets a favor and keep those leaves contained.

It's important to know that most home policies don't cover flooding — just a few inches of water damage can cost thousands! If you decide that flood insurance is something for you, contact MIM right away, before the next downpour!

Emergency Supply Kits - Are You Ready?

The Office of Emergency Management recommends preparing the following disaster supply kits to have on hand in the event of an earthquake or other major disaster: A "grab and go" kit that can be kept at home and at work, a household disaster supply kit with larger items, and a car disaster supply kit.

Below are some of the basics things that should be in disaster kits. 

A personal/office disaster supply kit should include:

- Medications, a first-aid kit and doctors' names and contact information

- Sturdy shoes, a change of clothes, and a blanket

- Cash (ATMs won't work if the power goes out)

- Flashlight, extra batteries and light bulbs

- Bottled water

- Snack foods high in water and calories (FEMA suggests items like protein bars and dried fruit)

A household disaster supply kit should hold include:

- Water (a minimum of one gallon per person or pet per day, for at least seven days)

- Canned or packaged food, and a can opener

- A portable or hand-cranked radio with extra batteries

- Comfortable, warm clothing

- Blankets or sleeping bags

- Copies of vital documents such as insurance, bank account information

- Flashlights

- Pet food, if needed

A car disaster supply kit should include:

- The most necessary items from your personal disaster supply kit

- An additional six-pack of water

- A tire repair kit, jumper cables, flares

- Seasonal supplies like blankets, hats and mittens for the winter and sunscreen and hats for the summer.

Try to assemble your kit well in advance of an emergency. You may have to evacuate at a moment’s notice and take essentials with you. You will probably not have time to search for the supplies you need or shop for them.

You may need to survive on your own after an emergency. This means having your own food, water and other supplies in sufficient quantity to last for at least 72 hours. Local officials and relief workers will be on the scene after a disaster but they cannot reach everyone immediately. You could get help in hours or it might take days.

Additionally, basic services such as electricity, gas, water, sewage treatment and telephones may be cut off for days or even a week, or longer. Your supplies kit should contain items to help you manage during these outages.

ACA Open Enrollment - Everything You Need To Know

Open enrollment for individual health insurance for 2016 through the Affordable Care Act, began November 1st!  That means anyone buying their own plan can start shopping on the federal and state insurance exchanges. 

Confused? We have the answers to your most common questions.

What is ACA Open Enrollment?

Among many reforms, the Affordable Care Act created insurance marketplaces (also called exchanges), where anyone without coverage can buy a health plan from a private insurer. You can’t be turned away because of pre-existing conditions (including pregnancy) or face dollar limits on your benefits. 

Open enrollment is typically the only time during the year when you can select a new health insurance plan for the following year (exceptions include a job loss or new baby.).

When is open enrollment?

Open enrollment for individual insurance coverage begins Nov. 1, 2015 and ends Jan. 31, 2016. 

When should I buy coverage?

If you want coverage on Jan. 1, 2016, sign up for a plan by Dec. 15, 2015. If you wait until the end of open enrollment (Jan. 31), you won’t get coverage until March 1 (though you will still avoid a tax penalty for going without insurance).

How much can I expect to pay in premiums?

Last year, the average monthly premium was $364, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. That sounds like a lot, but 87% of Americans qualified for a subsidy to help them pay the premiums. After the subsidy, the average monthly cost was only $101.

For 2016, premiums appear to be increasing. The government just reported that the cost of the most popular marketplace plan will rise by an average of 7.5% next year, though depending on where you live you could see big hikes or even small declines..

Will I qualify for a subsidy?

People who make between 100% and 400% of the poverty level—$11,770 to $47,080 for individuals and $24,250 to $97,000 for a family of four—can receive a subsidy, or tax credit, to help defray the cost of health insurance. 

Do I have to shop on a government exchange?

If you won’t qualify for a subsidy, you don’t have to stick to a government-run exchange. You may find more options off the exchange, including plans with larger doctor networks. On average, though, premiums tend to be higher in the private marketplace. Click here for the direct link to the government exchange - Direct Link Govt. Exchg.

How to do I shop for health insurance in the first place?

In addition to comparing premiums, you need to focus on three critical variables: Is your doctor in your insurer’s network, how much will you have to spend before insurance kicks in (or your deductible), and what’s the maximum you could pay if you got sick. 

The easiest way to shop your individual health insurance needs? Contact us right away! Click here - MIM for the fastest way to get yourself covered!

9 Ways to Prevent Memory Loss

Everyone has memory blips from time to time -- the word that's on the very tip of your tongue, or the house keys that aren't where you swear you left them. As you get older, these kinds of slip-ups may become even more common and frequent. Yet you don't have to resign yourself to memory loss.

Try 9 simple steps that can help keep your brain sharp as you age...

1. Step It Up

A 30-minute daily walk is one of the best things you can do for your body, including your brain. Exercise can help prevent conditions that can lead to memory loss, such as high blood pressure, Diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity and stroke.

2. Go Mediterranean

A healthy diet is always good for your brain, but one eating style in particular may be best for preserving memory. Keeping to a Mediterranean-style diet doesn't mean pasta and pizza, but lots of fruits and vegetables, fish rather than red meat, and olive oil. One study found people who closely followed this diet were nearly 20% less likely to develop thinking and memory problems than people who didn't stick to a Mediterranean eating plan.

3. Engage Your Brain

Just like physical exercise, mental exercise is good for you. Play cards, join a book club, watch a football game with friends and discuss the score, or play a brain-training app. Any mentally challenging activity will keep your mind sharp.

4. Stay Social

Card games and book clubs also keep you socially active -- another plus for your brain. Social interaction also enhances memory through its effects on mood.

5. Sleep Right

Try to get a good night's sleep. Attention and concentration go down when sleep is restless, and mental function is not as sharp as it is in those who have normal, restful sleep.

6. Stop Stress

Being under stress is very bad for your brain. High levels of the stress hormone, cortisol, make it harder to pull out information from your brain's memory. To relieve stress, try different ways to relax, like meditation, yoga, or massage.

7. Stub Out Cigarettes

If you smoke, quit. Smoking speeds up memory loss as you age. Smoking's effect on memory is probably due to small strokes it can cause in the brain. Try nicotine replacement, medicine, or counseling to help you kick the habit for good.

8. Get Checked

Sometimes, medical conditions like thyroid disease, diabetes, depression, or a vitamin deficiency can trigger memory loss. Certain medicines, such as sleep and anxiety drugs, can also affect your ability to remember. See your doctor to get checked and treated for these problems, and to go over all your medicines.

9. Use Memory Tricks

When you have trouble with everyday memory, it helps to have a few tricks up your sleeve. Every time you learn a new name or word, say it out loud to seal it into your brain. Mentally connect each new name with an image. If you meet a girl named April, picture a tree in bloom to represent the month of April. To help with recall, post sticky notes around the home and office, or set reminders on your phone so you'll know when it's time to take your medicine or head to an important meeting.