Health & Financial Services

We at Pacific General Insurance Services understand that the health and financial service needs of each company can be diverse, complex and extensive. Because no one product or service or combination fits all, we offer a variety of products and services which include:

Group Benefit Plans

Our employee benefits team can assist you in designing a plan that meets your firm’s specific needs. Once your needs are established, our team of exerts will partner with you to effectively resolve any issues or concerns you may have and provide you with a solution.

Group Health

Affordable group health insurance rates, are available in most states to any company that has 2 or more employees. The eligibility requirements may vary geographically and most companies that are applying for large or small group health insurance plans will need to verify the legitimacy of their business operations, however, this is not necessary for the purpose of obtaining health insurance quotes.

The number of employees insured under the group health plan may also determine the types of coverage available to the employer, as well as the per-employee premium. Usually, a company with between 2 to 50 employees is classified as a small business and may offer small business health insurance plans.

Large Group

Each insurance carrier has their own classification to determine when a company passes into the "large group" classification. Large group health insurance typically has even more plan options in its portfolio with increased flexibility, sometimes even allowing the large company to develop a customized plan with the carrier.

Small Group

The size classification that determines a "small business" differs by state, but typically includes businesses with between 2 - 50 employees. Small group health insurance is guaranteed issue, so as long as the company meets the qualifications of a small business, the business cannot be turned down for coverage because of the health of its employees.

 

Long-Term Disability (LTD)

In the event that an accident or illness prevents an employee from working for an extended period of time, the financial impact can be severe for the employee and employers. Long Term Disability (LTD) protection is designed to help cover the employee's expenses while their regular income is interrupted. Flexible plan design options and benefit alternatives are available to meet specific needs. This valuable protection is available with low-cost, tax-deductible premiums.

Short-Term Disability (STD)

A steady income is essential for most people. If an accident or illness interrupts that income, it affects both the employee and employer. Short Term Disability (STD) protection is designed to replace a portion of the wages lost when a short term disability occurs. An affordable, flexible STD plan can provide needed benefits to both the employer and employee.

Group Vision

A Group Vision plan is especially attractive for employers because it is inexpensive to offer, yet it's another employee favorite. This is a separate plan that provides coverage for eye exams and/or for frames, lenses and contact lenses. Many times the basic health plan may provide for routine eye examinations. However, it will usually not provide any benefit for frames, lenses or contact lenses; this is where a separate group vision benefit would be used.

Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)

Employer-sponsored flexible spending accounts (FSAs) are benefit plan arrangements that allow employees to pay for certain health care or dependent care expenses on a pre-tax basis.  There are two FSA options. A Health Care FSA is an alternate way of paying your share of your health care costs. In the same manner, a Dependent/Child Care FSA reimburses you for expenses for dependents and childcare which are necessary to allow you and your spouse to work.

When you create an FSA, you choose to have a specific amount of your annual salary withheld from your paycheck and deposited to your FSA. These withholdings are on a pre-tax basis.    Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA’s)  are benefit options designed to increase your disposable income by reducing the amount of taxes you pay. An FSA enables you to use pretax dollars to pay for qualified health care expenses which are not reimbursed under any health care plan or insurance plan, while a Dependent Care FSA pays for your qualified dependent/child care expenses. However, FSA funds are not interchangeable.

Flexible spending accounts offer significant tax advantages. Employees do not pay federal income, state income, or FICA taxes on the salary they contribute to a FSA plan. Employers, in turn, do not pay matching FICA (7.65%) and FUTA taxes because employees' gross incomes are significantly reduced. A health care FSA, which allows employees to pay co-payments and deductibles with tax-free dollars, can go a long way to helping employees shoulder their share of the burden. FSAs are excellent tools for employees in savings significant tax dollars especially in this day of rising health care costs.

Key Man Coverage

Your key employees are your most valuable business asset. Their skill, knowledge and experience are your real profit makers. Without them, the success and growth of your business could be in jeopardy. Key employee insurance is designed to protect your business from the adversities associated with the loss of a key employee, manager or executive. The death or disability of a key employee could result in a substantial financial loss due to hiring and training a replacement, lost sales, and/or slowed production.

Buy / Sell Protection

If you have a partner in business, you have a need for insurance so that in the event of death or disability, you can buy out your partner's interest without having to take out a loan or liquidate company assets. This is also important where children and taxes are involved.

401(k) Retirement Plans

401(K) plans are tax-deferred retirement savings plans for employees. The employer sets them up and each company has a slightly different 401(k). They are part of a family of retirement plans known as "defined contribution" plans - the amount contributed is defined by the employer or the employee. 

When you join a 401(K) plan, you tell your employer how much money you want to contribute to your account. This amount is deducted from your salary before taxes are applied, so you pay less income tax. More importantly, the money is deducted even before you have received it, making it the easiest savings plan to contribute to. Your employer may match a portion of your contribution. The money is invested by the plan administrator (on your behalf) in mutual funds, bonds, money market accounts, etc. You decide the mix of investments. They usually have a list of investment vehicles you can choose from as well as some guidelines for the level of risk you are willing to take. Since the plan is an incentive for retirement savings, there is one condition: if you withdraw the money before you are 59½  years old, you will have to pay tax as well as a 10% penalty fine to the IRS.

403(b) Retirement Plans

If your organization is tax-exempt under IRS code 501(c)3, you may be eligible to participate in a 403(b) Retirement Plan. Like a 401(k) plan, the 403(b) plan allows your organization to save assets for your retirement through salary deferrals that grow tax-deferred. You can invest in either:

• 403(b)(1) plan, which offers annuity contracts
• 403(b)(7) plan, which offers mutual funds

Long-Term Care (LTC)

Long-Term Care is the type of care received either at home or in a facility, when someone needs assistance with activities of daily living, such as bathing and dressing due to an accident, an illness or advancing age.

Rising life expectancy means that the potential need for "long-term care" grows with every passing year of your life. The likelihood is that you or a member of your family will need long-term assistance due to a prolonged illness, a disability, or general deterioration of your health and ability to perform routine daily activities. Most long term care expenses are not covered by Social Security or Medicare, Medicare Supplement ("Medigap"), or private health insurance. Medicaid pays for nearly half of all nursing home care, but you must meet federal poverty guidelines and may have to "spend down" most of your assets on health care.

Short-Term Care (LTC)

Temporary life events wherein insurance is unavailable for a proscribed period of time may be covered effectively and affordably with short-term care coverage.

Short-term care insurance provides valuable major medical coverage for people in any of the following situations:

• Between jobs
• Laid off
  
• Waiting to be covered under a group health plan
  
• Self-employed with no established health care plan
  
• A recent college graduate or young adult who, due to their age, is ineligible to receive benefits under a parent’s policy

Defined Benefit/Defined Contribution

A qualified retirement plan in which specified contributions are made to the individual accounts of participants. Benefits are based solely on those contributions and their investment performance. Accumulated amounts may also include employer contributions from accounts of other employees who left the organization before becoming fully vested.

Individual Insurance

Individual and family health insurance is health coverage specifically tailored to those not covered by employer groups or organizations. A broad selection of individual and family health insurance plans is available. Less expensive plans may provide coverage in case of a major accident or illness, while other plans may provide comprehensive coverage for all your healthcare needs.

Annuities

An annuity can help you accumulate tax-deferred earnings as part of your overall retirement plan. Annuities offer the opportunity for lifetime payments and tax-deferred earnings, and provide a guaranteed death benefit for your beneficiaries. All guarantees are backed by the continued claims-paying ability of the issuing insurance company.

You may want to consider investing in an annuity as part of your long-term financial plan if:

• You're in a higher tax bracket, and want to defer additional income.
• You've reached your deductible limit on all your retirement accounts and wish to save more for retirement.

An annuity is different from most other retirement savings vehicles — it's actually a contract between you and an insurance company. In return for making one or more premium payments, the insurance company agrees to provide you an income stream — usually during retirement. You can elect to receive payment all at once or as a series of payments, even for the rest of your life.

Dental Plans

Dental Insurance is available to individuals and families that are not covered on group dental insurance. For people without dental insurance, cost often stands in the way of getting the care they need to maintain the health of their teeth and gums. Even for routine preventive care, a trip to the dentist's office could mean a substantial amount of money out of your pocket.

A freedom-of-choice plan allows you to see any dentist you wish. However, this plan does impose 6- to 12-month waiting periods for some services. This is not the best plan for an individual who needs comprehensive coverage within the first 12 months. However, if dental coverage is desired for a long period of time, and there is no rush to receive the major benefits, this plan may work for you.

Long-Term Care (LTC)

Long-Term Care is the type of care received either at home or in a facility, when someone needs assistance with activities of daily living, such as bathing and dressing due to an accident, an illness or advancing age.

Rising life expectancy means that the potential need for "long-term care" grows with every passing year of your life. The likelihood is that you or a member of your family will need long-term assistance due to a prolonged illness, a disability, or general deterioration of your health and ability to perform routine daily activities. Most long term care expenses are not covered by Social Security or Medicare, Medicare Supplement ("Medigap"), or private health insurance. Medicaid pays for nearly half of all nursing home care, but you must meet federal poverty guidelines and may have to "spend down" most of your assets on health care.

Long Term Individual Disability

Becoming disabled can have devastating financial implications by stripping you of your ability to make a living. While some people can get by without working for a few months by tapping into their savings, few people can afford to stop working altogether for an extended period of time.

That's where LTD insurance can help you. LTD policies provide you with income for a long period of time, such as two years, five years, or until you retire.

Individual Vision Plans

Vision insurance refers to a contract between a consumer and an insurance organization which provides vision care in return for a premium. In exchange for their premium payments, consumers usually receive eye examinations (given by doctors and clinics contracted with the insurance organization) and corrective eyewear. Exactly how much of the fees are covered varies according to the specifics of the plan.

Even if you have perfect vision, proper preventative eye care is an essential practice towards ensuring the health of your vision in the years to come . The most important step is receiving routine examinations from a qualified eye care professional. Individuals between the ages of 20 to 40 are recommended an exam every 5 years or so, provided no visual changes or injury has occurred. Individuals over the age of 40 should have an exam every 2 years or so.

Individual Health Plans

Individual health insurance programs are designed for individuals and families who cannot obtain health insurance through an employer. Due to the continually rising cost of medical care, it has become more important to provide health insurance for you and your families. Pacific General Insurance offers health insurance programs to individuals which offer extensive coverage as well as high-deductible programs which are designed to protect against catastrophic financial losses.

As an independent agency, Pacific General Insurance can provide insurance plans from numerous health insurance companies. With the health insurance market changing frequently, we are always on the lookout for quality, service-oriented insurance companies for our clients.

Individual Life

Life insurance from Heritage Insurance House can help you secure your family's financial future by providing the funds they need to: cover burial expenses, uninsured medical bills, pay off your mortgage and other outstanding debts, and maintain a comfortable standard of living.

There are a variety of life insurance policies that we can provide. The kind of policy you choose depends on your needs:

Term Life

Term Life Insurance is a low-cost way of providing maximum coverage for your family. Protection is provided for a limited number of years. The insurance expires without value if the insured lives beyond the policy period, usually 5 to 20 years. Other policy life periods are available, including 1 year annual renewable term.

Term insurance premiums will not increase during the guaranteed policy time period (term) you select. Term Life Insurance pays a death benefit only if you die during that term. Term insurance generally provides the largest insurance protection for your premium dollar.

Term Life Insurance remains in force for as long as premiums are current, provided there are no misrepresentations on the application. The insurance coverage terminates if you discontinue your premium payments.

Universal Life

Universal Life is characterized by great flexibility. Policyholders can determine the amount and frequency of premium payments - i.e., the more you pay, the less time you will need to pay. Your premiums cover the insurance part also the savings or investment element and the expense part. The stated interest on the investment portion changes along with movement in interest rates; moves in 1/4 % interest steps are typical as banks and other financial institutions make similar moves.

Employee Paid Benefits

Employee Paid Benefits allow you to expand your fringe benefits to attract/retain top notch employees without increasing your overhead costs. Your employees get:

• Attractive Products
• Group pricing and/or underwriting considerations