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#In California there's only one way that insurance pays for an assisted living

sassysnowperson · 1 year

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Sass Talks Books: Thank You for Listening, by Julia Whelan

Basic Plot: An audiobook narrator, who doesn't record romance books (anymore - she needed to break into the industry somehow), is given the financial opportunity of a lifetime...recording a romance book. It's a dual narration book, too, which means working with another narrator. Her recording partner quickly becomes one of the best perks of the project, warm and funny and *real* feeling, despite the fact they've never met. (They've never met, right?)

My thoughts: I really enjoyed this one. The author IS an audiobook narrator, writing a book about two audiobooks narrators, and I listed to the audiobook...narrated by the author. I thoroughly recommend that reading experience, by the way. There's a lot of little moments with the two talented voice actor characters slipping into different accents, talking about tone and inflection, and it's an absolute delight to hear the narrator delivering on the script she wrote for herself. As for the story itself, I'm not far enough into the romance world to know if this book deviates from the romance novel beats enough that it's drifted out of the category, but I can say that it was absolutely charming and enjoyable. And, that the changes made dulled the edges of the parts of romance I bounce off of the most while absolutely being a very loving send-up of the genre. The connection between the two people was very real, but it wasn't the only (or even, I would argue, the most important) relationship developing and changing in the book.

Every character felt connected in a complicated web of love and relationships with other people - it was a joy. And it was used to explore some toothy things that I normally don't get in a book this fun - grief, regret, how you deal with the losses you can't get back, how you rebuild a life. It stayed warm-hearted and kind as a book, but it didn't shy away from real fights, insecurities, and pain.

A handful of warnings to go along with that: the MC has lost an eye, and deals with ableism, and some negative self-perception. There's some diet-culture-based disordered eating for the MC's best friend (not displayed as a good thing). The MC's relationship with her dad has some brutal fights where there's emotional manipulation happening. There's also a real look at the complications of dementia - discussed below.

The protagonist's relationship with her grandmother is a key point of the story, and the grandmother is dealing with encroachment of memory loss and personality change that comes along with dementia. This part surprised me - I work with older adults in long-term care and lol, was not expecting that my professional life would be relevant to the situation. The author made a few errors with the care system in California (where our grandma is based, and where I work). But frankly, only a few, and the way the dementia progressed wasn't one of them. It was good, and heartbreaking, and one of my favorite parts.

Wow...I wrote a lot about this. Suppose that makes sense, considering it was my experience of the book itself. I expected something light and fun, and while I got it, there was depth there too that was a very welcome surprise.

#sass talks books #thank you for listening #julia whelan #Okay I'll be salty in the tags #the things the author got wrong about assisted living #there's a plan to move the grandma from a building she loves but is expensive to one that accepts insurance #In California there's only one way that insurance pays for an assisted living #and there's a two-year waitlist for the person in the grandma's position #it wouldn't have been a quick solution #also they insurance they were citing was Medicaid #which in California is called Medi-Cal #and if the grandmother was on Medi-Cal #she would not have been able to afford her current assisted living for MUCH longer than the novel's plot sets it up to be #but honestly these are deep in the weeds professional quibbles #Things the book got right about long-term care: the ridiculous expense of care tiers #the services likely provided by the building #and the pain and joy of loving someone with dementia #which makes me think the author DID have someone she loved in an assisted living with dementia #but maybe wasn't in California #or didn't have the same financial issues

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caffeineandsociety · 11 months

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Honestly, as much as many people point out how much large quantities of money spent by the ultra-wealthy on frivolous things could change their lives as a reason that the level of wealth inequality we're at is absolutely unconscionable, and they're ABSOLUTELY correct that it's a great illustration of the problem...

I think an underrated and equally important illustration is how much those quantities CAN'T do.

Let's think about a million dollars. That's a quantity that says "HOT DAMN, you REALLY made it!" to most people. That's a lot. It's more money than most people will handle at once in a lifetime.

And it can BARELY buy most single-family homes in California. It can't buy many that don't even qualify as McMansions, just...nice houses. It's even worse in NYC, where you can find apartments the size of a postage stamp that it can't buy.

And if you want to RETIRE with "just" a million dollars? You'd better hope you die soon.

Suppose you retire at age 55 with a million dollars. Congratulations! If you live to age 75, that's 50k a year. 85, it's $33k a year. 95? You've got $25k a year...and it's likely that you're ending up with medical bills that take an entire year's worth of money in one go. Ending up in assisted living? Well, the median cost of assisted living in the US is...$54k a year. Congratulations, ALL your money goes to rent now! Every cent! Better hope you die within 15 years!

You COULD avert this by putting the money in a high-yield account and only skimming off the interest, yes - the average retirement account, with an interest rate of 5-8%, would give you $52-83k a year...but even then, you have to have a million dollars in the first place and not withdraw from your initial principal, which, good luck doing THAT with the complications that tend to arise in old age and health insurance deductibles and coverage limits and loopholes to make you pay out of pocket. $83k a year may sound like a lot, and it certainly is to most of us, and even so, life has a way of eating through it fast, especially if you're retirement age.

In addition, there's a concept that I call "item debt" - it's about those things that, sure, you can SURVIVE indefinitely without them, but you will live a longer and healthier life if you have them. This can be anything from a stove that can actually maintain a constant temperature, to a computer that lets you do your job without freezing and crashing every few minutes, to assistive devices. Item debt can be the need for transportation in the US's car-centric society - you can't even afford a shitty old beater, so you have to take the bus 3 hours each way; the first thing you'll do if and when you get the money is buy a car and...then what? Your bills are no less impactful; if anything, they're worse because now you have to pay maintenance on the car. It can take the form of, "well, I really SHOULD be using a wheelchair, but I can't afford that and I can walk ENOUGH that my insurance won't even partially cover it, so guess I'll rely on this $10 cane until it inevitably gets worse." It can take the form of saying "I'd aggravate my various orthopedic problems a lot less if I had more power kitchen appliances, but those are expensive, so I guess I'll make do without" until you can't lift a bowl anymore without hitting 8 on the pain scale. It can be the empty first apartment, bare mattress on the floor, that's a wonderful improvement over wherever you came from but if you don't get a bedframe you're either going to wear out that mattress really fast and have to spend a ton of money replacing it, or have to strain to pick it up and let the underside air out every day, which may not seem like a lot now but will destroy your back over the years if the cheap mattress itself doesn't do it first.

Thing is, most people who are not MULTImillionaires have some form of item debt - and if you have multiple disabled family members or a sufficiently expensive illness in the family (e.g., need for a lung transplant, which can cost upwards of $1mil WITHOUT complications, or cancer that requires a particularly expensive type of chemo), sometimes it'll take something like $10mil to get out of it.

Again, we're talking about WAY more money than most people will see IN THEIR LIVES. We're talking about quantities of money that MOST people are expected to live our entire lives without. We would all live longer, healthier, happier lives if we could all have basic food and water, sufficient living space, and health care including home medical devices as needed, guaranteed. There is no scarcity reason why we SHOULDN'T have these things guaranteed to everyone except a many-times-over-disproven myth that everyone would just stop working and then we'd have no supply chain if we didn't have death by poverty as a constant looming threat.

And so these things remain out of reach to EVEN THE LOW END OF THE WEALTHIEST 10% OF AMERICANS.

And for what? 90% of the country is left second-guessing, postponing, or even outright foregoing NECESSITIES, and FOR WHAT?? So the top 0.5% of fucking assclowns can have megayachts and eat gold and spend amounts of money that could change people's lives on stupid and dangerous shit whose horrible safety standards they can then inflict on the rest of us??

If that doesn't piss you off and tell you something needs to change I don't know what will.

#$250k would be able to clear MOST of my item debt #i would be able to get all the kitchen appliances i need to stop destroying my body to cook #id be able to get some mobility devices and braces ive been badly needing #but it WOULDN'T be enough to get me a house that could actually meet my accessibility needs without moving ro a cheaper state #where i would know no one and not be able to see my own doctors anymore #now that ive FINALLY found a medical team that ACTUALLY works for me #and tbh i find THAT to be an even more damning illustration of the problem than what that money COULD do

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ancaporado · 1 year

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Ok, this has been getting shared again, as obviously the fiat inflationary environment is driving up the cost of living faster than wages, leading the left to call for higher wages. The real economic solution to all this is to abandon the centrally planned government monopoly on currency that drives the boom and bust cycle and drives up the asset prices of the ultrawealthy. What's annoying to me is that we can't criticize the hypothetical or real women who is being described in this situation. 0:00 "you know how to spend a $31 million a year in salary" Sure, he gets paid probably too much, cause he can secure bailouts for his corporate bank via the government. Just one year later after grilling Dimon about his salary Rep. Porter (D - CA) would vote yes to give $900 billion in corporate bailouts including JP Morgan. So let's look at the budget for this bank clerk in Irvine, CA: $35,070 Patricia has a 6y/o after tax is $29,100 which in monthly salary is $2425 1 bed apartment $1600 $100 utilities Car payment $250 Monthly gas $150 low cost food budget: $400 cheap cell phone $40 child care: $450 Budget shortfall: $567

Now the questions we're not allowed to ask, because single moms are the most deified group in our society, is where is the father? Is there no child support coming in? If not, why did she have a child with a dead beat? Why is he gone in the first place? Was is divorce? 70% of divorces are initiated by women. Was it domestic abuse? Did you seek assistance from charity for that? Is she a widow? If she was a widow why didn't you get a life insurance payment? Why are you living in this expensive city? Do you have family there? Can they assist you financially? Can they assist with child care? Can you move in with you parents? Your aunt or uncles? Any siblings? Rep. Porter wants us to ask why can't the bank pay a living wage for a 'families' to make ends meet, but this is not a family, this is a single women living alone raising the child she chose to have with a deadbeat who left her, or a husband she scared off, or a husband who was too stupid to acquire life insurance. She has no immediate or extended family, but she MUST live in one of the most expensive places in america. There is no option to move to a cheaper place, acquire roommates, or live with family. $1600 a month is way too high for this woman's budget for a place to live and simply has to accept either living with family, acquiring a roommate, or moving to a cheaper location. By the way, if she didn't pay income taxes, she would make up most of that budget shortfall, she pays $497.50 in income tax a month. Also gas taxes in California are usually the highest in the nation: taxes and fees make up $1.18/gallon. If gas was $4.36/gallon in Irvine, CA then by removing the gas tax she'd save 27% a month on her gas bill bringing that down to $111/month. No gas taxes would save her $39 a month.

Why is she driving an average of 23miles a day (assuming her minivan gets 20mpg). Why does she live so far from work? Or her kids school? Why pay that much to live somewhere and still need to drive an average of 23 miles a day, every single day? Irvine is only 10 miles across in the first place. She's driving the whole of the town and back again every single day? It's got an okay bus system just $69/month for an unlimited bus pass, getting rid of the car would save $331/month. Okay, now the $250 car payment... on a 2008 minivan... for your single child? She could easily have a smaller vehicle that would cost less to purchase, less to operate, less to insure etc... But the current KBB for a used 2008 Chrysler town and country is... $4000! Even with no money down, she should be spending closer to $120/month on the car payment (3 year loan at 6%), not $250. Factor in some insurance at $60/month, we're still talking a savings of $70/month. Again, this woman needs to eliminate her child care by either asking family, maybe her retired parents, aunts/uncles, or a sibling or in-law. Why can't she negotiate working 6 hour days M-F so she can be with the child after school, and work Saturdays while the child is with a friend or relative? $450 a month saved right there. But most of all, why the hell are you living in Irvine on such a low wage? Not everyone gets to live everywhere. It would be nice to be just minutes from the beach, Catalina island, 3 state parks... but guess what? Lots of other people want to live there too! The rent is going to reflect that. By the way, I just looked up and now the average single bedroom rent in Irvine, CA is as of February 2023 $2,726! Okay, so the elephant in the room, is that this single mom is still going to receive welfare from the state and federal government. Her real income is going to be about $51,000 if you include her housing, medical, and childcare credits, etc...

This is a woman who made a bunch of shitty life choices and we take up the slack for her and her kid so she doesn't actually have too engage with her community, family, or child's father. But i'm glad she gets to live minutes from the beach!

#Youtube

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workers-compensation1 · 11 months

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4 Legal Rights That Turmeric Brain Injury Workers’ Comp Survivors Need to Know

Life is unpredictable and it can never be simple after a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Even survivors with little brain injuries might have long-term consequences that affect their lives and careers. People who suffer TBIs as a result of the carelessness of another can seek compensation for their losses through a personal injury lawsuit under California law. A significant TBI survivor lawsuit or conviction can provide much-needed income to assist sufferers and their loved ones rebuild themselves and prepare for the future. Every year, around 1.7 million Americans are affected by TBI.

4 beneficial legal rights of a brain injury worker in California

Benefits from Workers’ Compensation

Workers who have suffered brain damage have the right to seek workers’ compensation payments. The workers’ compensation system in California offers financial aid to pay medical expenditures, rehabilitation costs, and lost income as a result of work-related brain damage. This benefit is critical in enabling access to required medical care and income replacement while recovering.

Disability Insurance

Plenty of firms offer disability benefits to workers who endured brain injuries. The Americans with Disabilities Act restricts firms from entering into competitiveness with handicapped workers, especially individuals who have suffered traumatic brain injuries. Under the programs like Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), that provide monetary support to those who have no ability to work because of disabilities, people with brain injuries may be eligible for disability payments.

Discrimination Legal Protections

Anti-discrimination laws protect brain injury employees. The ADA forbids discrimination against people with disabilities in the workplace. It guarantees that workers with brain injuries are not treated unjustly or are refused employment chances only because of their impairment. Employers must provide reasonable modifications to enable brain injury workers to execute their job obligations successfully.

The Right to Seek Legal Advice

Employees who sustain brain damage as a result of a third party’s negligence or wrongdoing have the right to seek TBI legal advice in addition to workers’ compensation. They could be eligible to file a personal injury lawsuit for additional payment for their pain and suffering, mental agony, and other expenses caused by the brain injury. An expert personal injury attorney can help brain injury employees understand their choices and efficiently manage the legal procedure.

The four-step approach how can we assist you in obtaining the compensation you deserve?

For a boost in your potential of winning the claim you have a right, you need to meet with qualified attorneys who emphasize workers’ compensation claim cases, with traumatic brain injuries. You can get assistance from us in the listed ways:

Legal Counsel

Obtaining Evidence

Negotiation and Resolution

Appellations and Litigation

Conclusion

As a traumatic brain injury workers’ compensation survivor in California, it’s critical to understand your legal rights in order to obtain the assistance and money you deserve. By catching advice from our staff of legal practitioners who have dealt with the traumatic brain injury workers’ comp settlements in California, you will be significantly aided in protecting your rights and gaining the compensation that you want for your medical care. To support you in restoring your life after a traumatic brain injury, remember the fact that you are not isolated as well as that the legal system is on your side. Contact us at (626) 602-9483 or visit us at San Gabriel Valley for a free case evaluation.

#TurmericBrainInjury #workerscomp #lawyer #attorney #lawfirm #law #legalsystem

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gaylordnantais · 1 year

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Spine Injury Lawyer: Consequences and Compensation Explained

After an accident that hurts their spinal cord, people frequently suffer from long-term problems, pain, and even paralysis. By going to court against the person who caused your accident, your spinal cord injury attorney can get you monetary compensation for the damages and other losses. They’ll gather proof, talk with the insurance company of the person who hurt you, and maybe even file a legal complaint to secure your compensation.

Impacts Of Painful Spinal Injuries

Spinal cord injuries stop your brain from talking to your body parts, which means you have less control over your limbs. Injuries are called “complete” if you have no sensory or motor skills below the injury, or “incomplete” if you still have certain sensory or motor abilities below the injury.

People with spinal cord injuries all have at least one of the following problems:

Loss of movement, such as in paraparesis or paralysis, where you can’t move at all or only in certain ways.

Loss of senses, like being unable to sense cold, heat, or touch

Spasms or overactive reflexes are signs of this.

Lack of control over the bowels or bladder

Pain or a stinging feeling caused by damage to nerve fibers

Changes in ovulation, sexual function, and sensitivity

Having trouble breathing, coughing, or getting phlegm out of the lungs

The effects of a spinal injury are, of course, much more than just physical or medical. Spinal cord accidents force people to learn how to live within the limits of their injury. They might lose their capacity to work and pay bills, endure much suffering and pain, and deal with many other terrible long-term effects.

Compensation From Spine Injury

We can cover the following compensation and expenses you have spend while having surgery:

Medical Expenses – After a spine injury, bills for care can add very quickly. Our lawyers in California can help you get full payment for your ambulance costs, hospitalization, doctor’s visits, adaptive equipment, prescription medications, and any additional healthcare expenses you have.

Lost Wages – Depending on what the doctor says, you might not be able to go to work for a few weeks or months. Without the assistance of an expert lawyer, it might be hard for you to pay your rent and buy food. With the help of a lawyer, you can get money to makeup for the income you lost, giving you the security you need to get better.

Less ability to make a living – As stated, permanent problems can keep you from working or cause a big drop in your earnings. If that’s the case, these fines can help you makeup for the loss of income.

Pain and Sorrow – Spinal cord damage can cause pain deep in the body, pain that lasts for a long time, and suffering from tense muscles. These injuries can help you deal with the physical pain your condition causes.

Troubled Feelings – Accident and injury patients often have trouble with their emotions, PTSD, anxiety, and other emotional problems. Our California spinal cord injury lawyers can help you get the money you need to pay for therapy and, if needed, prescription medications.

Conclusion

Workers’ compensation lawyers at Gaylord and Nantais can help if you or a loved one has suffered a spinal cord injury on the job. Contact us at this moment at (562) 561-2669 to set up a no-cost consultation.

#spine injury lawyer #lawyer #lawfirm #law #workerscompensation

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royalclinic54 · 1 year

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Gastric Bypass Surgery Abroad Can Be Cheaper

Gastric detour a medical procedure can be a daily existence saving choice for hefty people who have been not able to keep a solid load all alone. Stoutness has turned into a significant medical problem in numerous nations. Weight reduction medicines like bariatric medical procedure is exorbitant in US and isn't covered under protection, but weight reduction medical procedure choices, for example, lap band, Mini Gastric Bypass Surgery in Dubai methods are presently being presented at significantly decreased costs in areas like Tijuana, Mexico. Giving limited careful weight reduction choice will assist more individuals with getting the medical procedure so they can get back to a better way of life.

Insurance agency doesn't pay for weight reduction medical procedures like Roux-en-Y medical procedure and using a markdown cost at quality, licensed focuses with board-guaranteed and experienced bariatric specialists in Dubai can give spending plan disapproved of people a minimal expense elective. A similar quality consideration is frequently accessible for 33% to one-half of the expense.

Tijuana Offers Reasonable Gastric Detour Choices

In the event that you are thinking about weight reduction medical procedure and are hoping to set aside cash, remember these focuses prior to going with a last choice.

-Cost. The allure of getting excellent consideration at a vigorously limited rate is the reason a rising number of stout clients are deciding to have their medical procedure acted in Tijuana.

-Accommodation. Go to Mexico is commonly speedy and cheap, particularly from the states that line Mexico. On the off chance that you live in lining states like Texas, California and Arizona, you can frequently drive as fast into Mexico as you could to a significant focus in the U.S.

-Play and Care. Having a limited gastric detour a medical procedure in Tijuana or other city in Mexico might furnish you with enough investment funds to have a mini-get-away and getting a charge out of South-of-the-Line fun before your medical procedure.

-Weight reduction medical procedure choices. Gastric detour Tijuana is only one of a few weight reduction medical procedure choices in Tijuana, Mexico, that are advertised. Lap band and sleeve strategies are different other options.

Why a Weight reduction Medical procedure Could Be Ideal for You

Notable wellbeing takes a chance from are essentially overweight, with cardiovascular illnesses, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, stroke, and certain malignant growths besting the rundown. While gastric detour or another weight reduction medical procedure can transform yourself for a long term benefit, it is as yet a medical procedure. While gambles are minimal, ensure you comprehend systems and what way of life transforms you should pursue a short time later prior to settling on a decision. When you conclude a medical procedure is ideal for you.

#health #treatment #hospital #care #medicine

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spotslong · 2 years

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White pages california usa

#WHITE PAGES CALIFORNIA USA TRIAL#

#WHITE PAGES CALIFORNIA USA FREE#

End-of-life disposal of these phone books puts a huge financial burden on local governments to recycle or dispose of the phone books, not to mention straining the landfill. In addition, phone books are hard to recycle because they are made with a low grade of paper.

#WHITE PAGES CALIFORNIA USA FREE#

There are free and convenient alternatives such as online directory from, and free 411 directory assistance (1800-FREE-411).In recent years, the number of phone books delivered to households and businesses has increased, with two or more competing companies now publishing and distributing books in similar or overlapping geographic areas.A substantial number of trees (in excess 1.2 million) must be harvested every year to produce the newsprint used to produce California telephone directories. On average, about 25% of the fiber used to produce telephone directories comes from post-consumer recycled material.The annual generation of telephone directories in California totals about 105,000 tons (an extrapolation for CA using US EPA 2008 figures.What if the clients turn around and resell the data? "Our expectation is that they won't," she says. The data is sold "for legitimate purposes," she says. Meanwhile, what of the data selling? The California Department of Motor Vehicles was in the news recently for pocketing $50 million yearly for reselling motorists' data to car manufacturers, insurance firms and banks.Ī spokeswoman for the DMV, Anita Gore, says the agency is just covering their costs. Another group says MyLife has violated the Illinois Right of Publicity Act, reselling their “addresses, employment histories, criminal records, social media pictures and other sensitive and personal information.” Spokeo was sued for allegedly displaying inaccurate information, and it went all the way to the Supreme Court, which ruled in favor of the company.Īttempts to reach MyLife for comment were not answered. MyLife is being sued by several consumers, with one group accusing it of bait-and-switching people to pay one fee to find out who is searching for them and then getting extra recurring charges. The other sites had me down in less than a day. A follow-up call said MyLife takes five to seven business days for removal. Worst of all, after calling on Monday (88) to demand my removal from the index and being asked to give my name, street address and birth date, as of Friday evening, everything was still there. That's 27 years ago for what I believe was an illegal U-turn. And it turns out I got what MyLife cited as a "minor infraction" traffic ticket in 1991. It also said I "may" have bankruptcies and liens, sex offender notices and eviction reports.

#WHITE PAGES CALIFORNIA USA TRIAL#

MyLife uses scare tactics to get you to sign up for a membership to see the results.įor instance, MyLife told me "you have arrest or criminal records" and offered me the chance to view these, provided I pay $1 for a three-day trial membership that could be canceled only if I called in. The worst offender: MyLife won't let you opt-out without calling the company first. The company adds that it "will not sell the email address that you provide as part of the opt-out process, or use it for any other purpose, without your prior consent." MyLife Then type in your address and request to be let out. From there, search for your name (and add the state you live in). You can save a step by going straight to the privacy policy (hidden way down, at the bottom of the front page).

#White pages california usa

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pacificworkerscompnorth · 2 years

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5 Ways That California’s Workers’ Compensation System Hurts Workers

California’s workers’ compensation system is supposed to help workers who get hurt on the job get back on their feet. The system is far from ideal, though. In some cases, it causes more harm than good to the workforce. Usually, it hurts workers more than it helps them. Here are five ways California’s system for giving workers’ compensation hurts them.

Read here to know more information about workers’ compensation.

5 Ways California’s Workers’ Compensation Fails The Workers

1. Workers’ compensation doesn’t always pay for injuries on the job.

Workers’ compensation does not necessarily compensate medical bills or lost wages for employees who become ill or injured on the job. In some cases, workers may not be covered or get less than they could have. Some workers’ compensation programs, for example, don’t cover injuries that people cause themselves or that happen outside of work. Also, many programs only pay for a part of a worker’s lost wages and medical bills.

2. Workers’ compensation doesn’t always give workers enough money to compensate for their lost wages.

Workers’ compensation is often there to help pay for their lost wages when a worker gets hurt on the job. But sometimes, workers’ compensation benefits aren’t enough to cover all of a worker’s bills, leaving them struggling to make ends meet.

There are a few reasons why workers’ compensation benefits might not be enough to cover lost wages. First, workers’ compensation benefits are often based on their salary before the injury, which may not be enough to cover their current living costs. Also, workers’ compensation benefits may not be available immediately, which can add to the financial stress of injured workers.

If you get hurt at work, you need to know your rights and what you can do about workers’ compensation. You can be eligible for benefits in addition to workers’ compensation; an experienced attorney can assist you in acquiring the benefits you require and are deserving of.

3. Workers’ compensation doesn’t always pay for medical bills.

Workers’ compensation is meant to help workers who get hurt on the job, but it doesn’t always pay for all of their medical bills. A study by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health found that about one-third of workers who were hurt and asked for workers’ compensation did not pay their medical bills.

So, what does this mean for people who get hurt at work? Even if they have workers’ compensation, they may have to pay for some of their medical bills. Especially if the injury is serious, it can be a big financial burden.

If you get hurt at work, talk to your workers’ compensation insurer to find out what is and isn’t covered. You might also want to talk to a lawyer to learn more about your legal options.

4. Workers’ compensation does not always pay death benefits to the families of workers who have died on the job.

Families of employees who pass away while working are frequently compensated financially by workers’ compensation. However, this rule is not always applicable. If a worker dies because of negligence, like not following safety rules, their family might not be able to get death benefits. Also, a worker’s family won’t get death benefits if they die while committing a crime.

5. It’s often hard to get workers’ compensation.

Obtaining workers’ compensation can be challenging. Workers’ compensation is insurance for those who become ill or injured while working. Workers’ compensation is typically mandated by legislation. Workers’ compensation aims to provide a safety net, but obtaining it is not always simple.

There are several reasons why it’s hard to get workers’ compensation. It can be complicated and hard to figure out how to file a claim. Even if a worker files a claim, there is no guarantee that it will be approved. California’s mechanism for compensating injured workers is ineffective in many steps. These numerous weaknesses in the system harm employees and cost companies billions of dollars annually. Some of the most important problems are the long time it takes to file a claim, the high costs, and the low benefits. To learn more about how California’s workers’ compensation system affects employees and companies, contact Pacific Attorney Group or dial (916) 827-3686.

#workerscomp

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south-cal-pag · 2 years

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5 Ways That California’s Workers’ Compensation System Hurts Workers

Read here to know more information about workers’ compensation.

5 Ways California’s Workers’ Compensation Fails The Workers

1. Workers’ compensation doesn’t always pay for injuries on the job.

2. Workers’ compensation doesn’t always give workers enough money to compensate for their lost wages.

3. Workers’ compensation doesn’t always pay for medical bills.

If you get hurt at work, talk to your workers’ compensation insurer to find out what is and isn’t covered. You might also want to talk to a lawyer to learn more about your legal options.

4. Workers’ compensation does not always pay death benefits to the families of workers who have died on the job.

5. It’s often hard to get workers’ compensation.

#workercompensationattorney

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unholyobsessions · 4 years

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And life goes on (though not always in the right direction)

Spencer Reid AU

Description: Spencer Reid has lived a horrible life, and every time he thinks it’s getting better, it somehow gets worse.

Warnings: Bullying, Self harm, Suicide, Kidnapping/blood, Rape/Sexual assault, Depression, Death, Cussing, Drug use (if there are any others please message me and I will gladly add them. There is no warning too small.)

Word Count: 5.4k

The first time Spencer gets beat up it is his eight birthday. He doesn’t celebrate. His dad gets “stuck at work” (in reality he is out cheating on his wife with his assistant) and his mom forgets. He goes to the park with a book knowing that would be the best way to spend his birthday. A group of neighborhood kids walks up to him and asks him if he wants to hang out. He, of course, says yes.

Oh stupid and naive little boy.

They guide him to the bleachers and push him to the ground. Spencer looks up at them through teary eyes and they laugh. The first punch breaks his glasses and the second breaks his nose. The kicks against his abdomen bruise his ribs and cause him to throw up his breakfast. They all keep laughing. It isn’t until an hour later when they finally get tired and leave. Spencer curls himself into a fetal position and tries not to swallow the blood gushing from his nose.

He walks alone to the hospital. His mother doesn’t notice he’s gone until the doctor calls her and asks her to pick up her son. His dad shows up with her. Spencer thinks he looks embarrassed. He refuses to meet his eyes. At first he thinks it’s because of his now crooked nose that will certainly need surgery but he later realizes that he is embarrassed of him. He is ashamed of who his son is. That is the first time that he cries himself to sleep. He gets beat up regularly after that.

. . .

Spencer is ten when his father leaves. He tries to convince him to stay. He keeps reciting statistics about how a divorce could affect a child but all his father does is look at him with disgust and walk out the door. His mother has one of her episodes later that same night. Spencer can’t bring himself to calm her down so he locks his door and picks up his physics text book. Half way through the chapter he feels tears falling down his cheeks. He does his best to wipe them away but it’s no use. He allows himself to cry as he thinks about what his father leaving will inevitably cause. His mother is in no condition to hold down a job and he has no way of making money to pay for food and electricity. He’s glad that their medical insurance takes care of all of his mother’s medication. He eventually settles down and brings his blankets over his body, the distant sounds of his mother practicing for a lecture that will never come lulling him to sleep.

The next day he goes straight to the local newspaper station and asks if he could have a job delivering the papers to the local neighborhoods. The owner is apprehensive at first until Spencer explains his situation. The man sighs and hands him a bag filled to the brim with the day’s news. Spencer rushes out of the building and jumps on his bike. He delivers newspapers everyday at six in the morning for the next two years.

He becomes used to hunger. He can’t buy books anymore as he is barely scraping together enough money to have a decent meal everyday. He never complains though. He forces the tears away and keeps moving forward. Things will get better.

. . .

When he’s thirteen when he leaves for university. Cal-Tech. It’s the start of a new life. He enjoys his classes and regularly converses with his professors. Every time he gets the chance he takes the trip down to Las Vegas to check on his mom. She always assures him that she is perfectly fine (even though she isn’t) and he needs to stop worrying so much.

He gets a job at the library. He puts the books back in their respective shelves and his eidetic memory certainly makes it easier. It isn’t fun, not in the slightest, but it pays better than selling newspapers and he’s in desperate need of money. He stays at the library between shifts and works on his homework. He uses the library’s computer since he can’t afford his own.

He excels in all of his classes and makes extra money out of tutoring. The older students don’t take offense to a fourteen year old correcting them on their mistakes, for that he is extremely thankful. Still, it doesn’t mean he has friends. Most twenty-year-olds don’t want to spend their free time hanging it out with a know it all pre-teen.

. . .

He slides a razor blade against his arm for the first time when he is fourteen. He doesn’t know exactly what makes him do it. The stress of college at such a young age or maybe the fact that he is completely alone in California. He considers the fact that it may be from the bruise forming on his lower abdomen, courtesy of a group of Frat guys. Maybe it’s all of the above.

The only thing he knows for sure is that he relishes in the pain it gives him. It isn’t the same type of pain he feels whenever he gets beat up, no this feels better. He gives himself two cuts before hiding the blade and cleaning himself off. He wraps a bandage over his forearm and goes to class.

The next day he sits in the bathroom and debates whether he should do it again. He knows he shouldn’t. He is aware that this is not good for him. He thinks about going to the campus therapist but quickly shuts down the idea. He can’t talk about what he is going through. He has no right to feel the way he does. He is going to a prestigious college on a full ride scholarship. He is passing all of his classes, he finds them easy. But he can’t help the way he feels. He looks at himself in the mirror and feels disgusted with what he sees.

He has no one. No one to take care of him. No one to talk to. No one to ask him how his day went. He understands why his father left. He wouldn’t want to have himself as a son either.

He slides the blade three times.

Two weeks later he is up to six cuts per day. The scars are ugly but Spencer can’t bring himself to care. He avoids looking in the mirror, it only makes the desire to feel the cold blade on his skin worse. No, he isn’t suicidal, at least he doesn’t think so, but he can’t help but throw his head back as blood gushes down his arm.

. . .

He is sixteen when his mother dies. He has just finished his first PhD and comes home to visit and celebrate. At one point he goes out to the store and comes back to find his mother on the floor.

She isn’t breathing.

He eyes the bottle of pills on the floor and then looks to the counter to see another one.

They’re both empty.

He cries. He cries for over an hour before he gets up and starts packing his stuff. He takes all of his money as well as some clothes and other necessities. He calls the paramedics on his way out the door. He takes the first bus out of Las Vegas and never looks back.

He doesn’t return to Cal-Tech. Social Services finding him will be too easy if he does. He’s a minor and his guardian is dead. He has two options. He can either find a way to contact his dad (which social services probably does) and go live with him. He doesn’t dwell on the thought long. Option two is to allow himself to be turned over to the state and be inevitably placed in an overcrowded foster home that only takes children in for money. He dismisses the thought quickly. He ends up choosing option number three.

He runs away. He ends up in Arizona. He doesn’t remember how many buses it takes him to get there. He stays at a cheap motel and has to resist the urge to walk to the bathroom and open old scars. It’s been months, he tells himself, you have to be strong. He makes a call to the University of Oxford. They had offered him a scholarship when he had originally applied when he was thirteen. He declined their offer, obviously, and decided to stay closer to home. Closer to his mom. Who is dead now. He shakes his head and forces himself to stop thinking about it. He requests to talk to the Dean. He gives his name and he is quickly transferred to his office.

Yes, they do have a place for him in school. Of course, they would be honored to have him complete his studies there.

Spencer hangs up the phone and calls the airline. One way ticket to England please. The next day he lugs his belongings all the way to the airport, not having enough money for a cab. He boards the plane and stares out the window officially saying goodbye to his life in the states.

. . .

Maeve is dead. He is twenty years old and he is tied to a chair staring at his dead fiancée. He sees the blood pooling around her body and his throat feels raw from all the screaming. This isn’t supposed to happen. His life was finally good, stable. The first real glimpse of happiness he’s had since he was ten. Life can’t have gotten this bad.

They have both been held captive for four days. Spencer being forced to watch as the man who took them repeatedly raped the woman he is in love with. Forced to endure having the shit beat out of him. Having to endure the feeling of the needle piercing his skin and ultimately enjoying the high that came afterward.

The man smirks at him, the gun still in his hand.

“YOU SON OF A BITCH!” His voice comes out hoarse, not even he can recognize it. The man simply laughs and walks over to him. He holds the gun to his head and Spencer closes his eyes. He’s going to die. He wants to die. He craves the feeling of vast emptiness that came with death. He doesn’t think that he can deal with any more pain.

The pressure of the gun leaves his head. He looks up and the man smiles at him, but there is no sincerity in his eyes. He hears the man saying something along the lines of “death is too easy” before plunging another needle in his vain. Spencer’s eyes roll back as a feeling of ecstasy overcomes his body. He hears the man walk away before he passes out. He wakes up to see officers untying him. He sees paramedics close the black bag over Maeve’s face. He feels tears fall down his face.

“No,” he repeats over and over. He hears paramedics ask him his name. Does he remember how he got here? Can he tell them where he lives? Their questions fall on deaf ears. All Spencer can think about is how when he eventually gets out of the hospital he will have to go back to an empty apartment. He will have to pack up Maeve’s stuff. He will have to face her parents and tell them what happened. He will have to tell her dad that he will never get to walk his little girl down the aisle and her mom that she would never take her dress shopping. Spencer would never meet the eyes of the woman he loves as she reaches the altar. He will never get to say ‘I do’ and call her Mrs. Reid.

He finds a dealer as soon as he gets home.

. . .

He’s twenty two when he gets his fifth PhD. He has been clean for a little under a year and it is all thanks to his boss. He’s been living with him since he moved out of his apartment. He works at the local police station. He gives profiles on serial criminals. No one is ever going to have to go through what he went through. Not if he can help it.

He based the past two years of his schooling solely on his new career choice. He gets an internship two months after the incident.

He’s high most of the time.

He still passes all of his classes with flying colors but his new boss knows that something is up with him, even if he has only known the kid for a month. The police chief approaches him one day when Spencer is sitting on his desk going over a cold case file. He invites him to dinner at his house and Spencer is both relieved and worried. Relieved that he wouldn’t have to go back to his god forsaken apartment for a few more hours and worried because he doesn’t know how bad his craving will get. He has developed a routine. Shoot up, go to school, go to work, come home at five, shoot up again.

An hour into dinner and his boss asks him the question. Are you okay? It’s a loaded question, they’re both aware but Spencer notes that the man is genuinely concerned for his well being. He breaks down. He tells him everything. He doesn’t know why he is sobbing in front of a man who he has only known for a short while. Why he is telling him all of his problems. Why he rolls up both of his sleeves and shows him the scars that graze his inner elbow, and the ones that have healed over his forearm.

From a psychological perspective he knows why he is doing it, why he allows himself to be so vulnerable in front of the man. He longs for a father figure. For a man to comfort him and care for him. He wants what his father never gave him as a child, what he never gave him as a teenager, what he never gave him as an adult.

“I’m sorry sir,” Spencer sniffles. He is being unprofessional.

“You don’t have to call me sir, you know? You can call me Roger.” Spencer nods, not having the strength to speak up again. “You’re staying the night and then tomorrow we’ll go to your apartment to pack up your stuff and you’re moving in. I’m going to help you get clean.”

Spencer is shocked but can’t bring himself to argue. He is exhausted. The next day they do just what Roger said they would do. It is a long journey. He will stay clean for about three weeks before something happens that makes him fall back to his disgusting habit. Roger will sometimes come home to see Spencer sobbing in the bathroom, a syringe lying next to him. He immediately pulls him close and assures him that it’s okay.

He beats it though. It will be a year next month since the last time he had any drug in his system. He’s proud of himself.

Roger walks over to him as he closes his phone. They are in one of their co-worker’s backyard. They all insisted that they needed to celebrate his new achievement. Spencer had rolled his eyes but accepted their kind gesture and is now sipping his drink and making conversation when Roger calls his name.

Roger takes a second to mull over the progress Spencer made. He’s proud of him. He loves the kid like his own but the future of their father-son relationship will be determined what he is about to say.

“Hey, what’s up?” Spencer asks casually, pushing a hand through his long hair.

“I just got a call from Interpol,” he pauses, Spencer freezes. “They have offered me a position.” He waits for Spencer’s reaction.

“You’re leaving.” Spencer can’t believe this is happening. Not again. He starts to wonder if life will ever allow him to have even a sliver of happiness.

“I am.” Spencer avoids looking at him. “But I want you to come with me.” That catches his attention.

“What?”

“I told them that if they want me then they will also have to offer a position to the smartest and most hard working man I know. I made it clear that I am not going to take the position unless they put you on my team. So what do you say? Want to work at Interpol with me?”

Spencer is shocked to say the least. It’s a great opportunity. Tears well up in his eyes as he looks at the man who cares for him like a son. The man who encouraged him to beat his addiction, who makes him feel like he is worth something. He nods his head and hugs him. He hears their co-workers cheering behind them and he lets out a laugh. Maybe life will allow him to be happy.

. . .

Wrong. Life always likes to give Spencer a nice kick in the ass. He has been working at Interpol with Roger for about a year and a half and at the ripe age of twenty-four he is one of their most valued members. He is seated quietly at his desk, nursing a horrible migraine when a file is dropped in front of him. He looks up at Roger and sees the sympathy in his eyes. He furrows his eyebrows in confusion before picking up the file.

His breath hitches in his throat.

Couple kidnapped and held for four days. Woman shot execution style with evidence of repeated sexual assault. Male beaten brutally with traces of narcotics in his system.

He can’t breath. He tries but he can’t seem to make his lungs work. He starts to hyperventilate. He can hear Roger saying his name but he can’t focus enough to respond. He’s back. It’s been four years and there has been no cases with even a similar M.O. He is aware that he is having a panic attack but he can’t bring himself to even try and match Roger’s breathing. His inner elbow itches.

No.

It would make things easier. No dealing with the pain.

No. No. No. I won’t do it. Not again.

It’s only once. You want to. You’re weak.

No. I’ve come so far, I will not give it up.

Then how about the blade? Just like when you were fourteen. Weak little Spencer Reid. You’re pathetic.

NO!

He doesn’t remember passing out.

He wakes up with Roger standing over him. He apologizes and Spencer reassures him that he is fine. He wants to work the case. No, not wants, needs to work the case. Roger refuses. But he knows the case better than anyone. They argue for a while. In the end Spencer wins (he always wins).

Roger informs him that a team of profilers from the FBI is coming to help solve the case. The killer wasn’t dormant, he went to the United States and continued killing there. Same M.O. Only last week did he return to the U.K.

“The FBI has worked this case and they want to continue working it,” Roger explains.

Spencer nods and walks back to his desk. He starts going over the file and victims. He realizes that his name isn’t listed. The victims start with his first kill in the U.S. He feels relief at the fact. He studies the file for a few more hours before Roger tells him to call it a night. They walk to the car together and head home.

The next day the FBI team arrives. The Behavioral Analysis Unit. Spencer has heard of them, he even studied some of their cases when he first started profiling. They walk in and go straight to Roger, completely ignoring Spencer. He’s not surprised. Strangers never seem to realize that he actually works here. He doesn’t exactly have a sign over his head that reads “I have an IQ of 187 and have five PhDs. I also have an eidetic memory and can read 20,000 words per minute.”

Roger greets them and introduces them to Spencer.

“This is Dr. Spencer Reid, he’s my lead on the case and my second in command. If I’m not available, anything he says goes.” The team all wears various expressions of shock.

A white male with dark hair, who Spencer assumes is the leader, breaks first and introduces himself and the rest of them. “I’m Agent Hotchner, these are SSAs Rossi, Morgan, Jareau, Greenaway, and Prentiss and our technical analyst Penelope Garcia.” He holds out his hand and Spencer hesitates.

“Oh uh I don’t shake hands.” Roger snorts fondly while the team all assumes the Dr. to be a pretentious asshole (he isn’t) (most of the time). They were all led to the conference room which Spencer has already set up. There are two maps on the walls, one of England and the other of the U.S. There are tacks placed at the places where all the victims were held.

The FBI has been here for three weeks and are no closer to catching the killer. Two other couples have been taken. Spencer never goes to the crime scene. He is barely holding it together, the itch on his arm getting stronger as he clutches his sobriety coin, he can’t bear to look at the scene that is almost identical to the one he found himself in four years ago. Of course the team doesn’t know this. They all think that he doesn’t have the guts to do the job. They often find themselves discussing the young man’s incompetence and how if he can’t handle the case then he shouldn’t work it. They always stop the conversation when he walks in though. One day however, they don’t hear his approaching footsteps as they make fun of him.

“How old is he? 15? The kid is too damn young to be working a job like this.” Morgan pops a peanut in his mouth after speaking.

“He probably fucked his way into his position,” JJ says.

“I mean the way he handles the files. He can’t even look at the pictures. He looks like a baby watching a horror movie,” Prentiss laughs.

“I still don’t understand. Who let him in here? This isn’t a daycare or a kindergarten.” All three agents laugh at JJ’s comment before a voice shuts them up.

“You don’t know me.” Their heads snap up to see the man in question standing in the doorway. “You have no right to judge me.” The glare he is giving them is scarier than Hotch’s.

“Kid we-” That draws the line.

“I’m not a kid Agent Morgan. The only people acting like children in this building are you three. You have no idea what I have been through. I’m sure you wouldn’t even be able to handle a fraction of the shit show that is my life.” His breathing is heavy and his voice is rising along with his temper.

“We’re sorry it’s just that you’re so young. We didn’t think-” Spencer cuts Prentiss off.

“Exactly. You didn’t think did you? Well let me enlighten you. I was brutally bullied since I was eight. My father left me and my paranoid schizophrenic mother when I was ten. I had to work to pay the bills and to be able to have a meal at least once a day. Then I went to college and things got better right? Not really since I still had no friends so I decided self harm was the way to go. Oh and my mother died when I was sixteen. The only person who ever gave a shit about me, killed herself. I came home one day and she was lying on the ground with an empty bottle of pills next to her. I packed up and left because I refused to go with my father or go into foster care. Do you think my life got better after that?” He waits to see if they will answer. They don’t.

“Well for a while it did. I met the love of my life and we were going to get married. And then we were kidnapped. I was tied to a chair and drugged regularly as I watched my fiancée get raped. Then the psychopath put a gun to her head and shot her in front of me. I watched as the blood pooled around her body and I kept wishing that he had killed me as well. I kept doing drugs. Believe it or not, four days of getting shot up with dilaudid made me an addict. It took me a year to be able to get clean. And when I finally thought it was over a file got dropped on my desk. He was back. The reason for my nightmares, the man my therapist keeps trying to make me forget, was back,” he paused and took a deep breath. “So I’m sorry agents if I can’t go and examine the scene. I’m sorry that I get a little jittery when looking at the case files. But don’t you ever accuse me of not being able to do my job. I’m damn well good at what I do, despite my age. Yes I am only twenty-four but you three have made it quite clear that I am much more mature and capable of doing this job than you are.” With that he turns around, only to come face to face with Roger. He nods at him, a sign that he can leave. Spencer walks out of the conference room and toward the elevator. He gets in, waits for the doors to close and bursts into tears.

Back in the conference room Morgan, Jareau, and Prentiss are faced with an angry Unit Chief and a fuming Director.

“I want you out of here,” Roger looks at the three agents before turning back to Hotch. “I will not allow you to continue working this case with us unless they leave right now. They should get suspended for the trouble they have caused. Dr. Reid is one of Interpol’s greatest assets and I will not tolerate three strangers who got here three weeks ago to stand here and insult him. So Agent Hotchner unless they are sent home, your team is no longer welcomed here. And I will make sure to report this to your Section Chief and the FBI Director.” Roger walks out of the room and goes after his son.

Hotch turns back to his team and none of them think they have ever seen him look as angry as he does that very moment. “Prentiss, Morgan, Jareau, pack your bags, you're leaving. You’re suspended two weeks without pay, effective immediately. After your suspension is over you’ll have a meeting with the director to discuss your future at the Bureau. If it were up to me the three of you would be fired, but sadly it isn’t. You have shamed and dishonored the reputation of the Bureau and frankly I wouldn’t be surprised if Interpol severed ties with us. Now I am going to apologize to Dr. Reid and Roger and I hope to see you gone by the time I come back. I do not want to hear another word out of you unless it is an apology.” Hotch leaves the room but not before sending them one last glare. Rossi, Elle, and Garcia all look at them and follow after Hotch. To say they are disgusted by their teammates’ behavior is an understatement.

Spencer is inside his car, sniffling and trying to get himself together. He doesn’t know what came over him inside the conference room but all the stress from the past three weeks took a toll on him and he found the perfect outlet to release it. A knock on his window startles him. Roger smiles before opening the door and sitting in the passenger seat. They sit in silence for a while, neither of them sure how to approach the conversation.

“You’re not in any trouble,” Roger starts. “If you hadn’t yelled at them son, I was going to and we both know how that would have ended up.” They both chuckle and fall into a comfortable silence.

“Do you think we’ll catch him?” Spencer speaks up.

“With you working the case? There is no doubt in my mind.”

They do catch him. Two weeks later Spencer is standing in an abandoned warehouse in front of the unsub with his revolver raised. The man, Tommy Montgomery, had his gun at the woman’s head, a sick smile on his lips.

“I remember you,” Montgomery exclaimed. “I killed your fiancée four years ago, didn’t I?”

Spencer could kill him right now. “Put the gun down. You don’t have to do this. We can help you if you just put the gun down.” Spencer recites the speech that he has said dozens of times to dozens of criminals.

“Help me?” the man laughed. “You don’t want to help me. You want me to rot in a cell for the rest of my life. We both know there is only one way this can end.” Montgomery raises his gun at Spencer but he isn’t fast enough.

Spencer unloads three rounds straight to his heart. He lowers his weapon and rushes over to him. He places two fingers above his collarbone--he will never admit that nothing brought him greater joy than realizing that he had no pulse. He goes to untie the male victim as paramedics rush inside. Roger walks over to Spencer once they are outside and pulls him into a hug.

“It’s over son.”

Spencer cries and clings onto him as sobs rack his body. He separates himself and takes a few calming breaths. He walks over to the BAU team, which now only consists of three members and their tech analyst. He thanks them profusely and the three of them reassure him that he has nothing to thank them for. Hotch looks at the young genius for a second before making an offer.

“You know we have three spots open on our team now. If you want to, you are always welcomed at the FBI.”

“Oh,” he doesn’t know what to think. He hasn’t gone back since he was sixteen. Was he ready? “Thank you really. I’m not sure I’m ready to go back to the states at this moment but maybe in a few months or years, if you’ll still have me, I’ll gladly join you.” Spencer holds out his hand and Hotch laughs before taking it and giving it a firm shake.

“Good luck Dr. Reid.”

“You too.”

. . .

Five months later Spencer goes back to Oxford. He’s doing better. His cravings don't come as often and when he looks in the mirror, he isn’t ashamed or disgusted at what he sees. His therapist only requests to see him once a week now and Roger doesn’t hover over him at work.

He stands in the cemetery next to the church he was going to be wed at. He walks across the wet grass, scrunching his face at the squishing noises his shoes make. He faces Maeve’s grave and a shaky breath leaves his lips. He sits down next to the tombstone and starts talking. He tells her about everything that happened in the past months and how he finally avenged her death. He tells her about his progress and how his mental health has improved so much since he last talked to her. He sits there for hours during the day and well into the night until he runs out of things to say.

“You would be so proud of me sweetheart. But now to what I actually came here to say. I came to say goodbye.” He takes a deep breath as a few tears roll down his cheeks. “I will love you forever and I will keep missing you every single day. But it is time that I move on. I need to find happiness and maybe that happiness isn’t here. I ran away when I was sixteen and I don’t want to run away anymore. So this may be the last time in a while that I come and talk to you. I love you Maeve Reid, to the moon and back.” Spencer stands up and places the ring he was going to wear for the rest of his life on top of the tombstone. He walks away as he takes out his phone and dials a number he never thought he would actually call. It rings for a few seconds before a familiar voice comes through the receiver.

“Hotchner.”

“Does the offer still stand?”

99 notes · View notes

venolapi · 3 years

Text

Doctors and Their Patients in Los Angeles Unite Against Health Net Over Denying Claims

Joining forces in order to Health Net, doctors from Los Angeles and two patients will now file a lawsuit against one of Centene Corporation’s known subsidiaries.

Overview

In order to be able to sue its target, a Los Angeles group representing a number of doctors have joined forces with two patients on suing Health Net for the accusations of it denying claims solely based on the insurer’s definition of “medical necessity”, according to a news article report posted by Reuters.

Lawsuit Details

The original lawsuit was filed in the Los Angeles Superior Court office in 2012, accusing the defendant Health Net of unfair and unlawful business practices. The aim of the lawsuit is to prevent Health Net and other similar companies from using the excuse of “medical necessity” as a way for them to deny medical assistance.

It has been also added that the health insurance company has denied the claims of the patient members due to it “being expensive”, which was confirmed by Rocky Delgadillo, the chief executive of Los Angeles County Medical Association.

Delgadillo has added that this kind of lawsuit is groundbreaking in the medical insurance industry, wherein he stated that this kind of issue shows that companies like Health Net and its parent company Centene Corporation will prioritize profits ahead of its customers, regardless of their current situation.

He added that the actions of Health Net in the said issue show that it is dictating on what medical care to provide to its members. The decision of which medical treatment is necessary for a patient and which one will cover it should be done by a doctor and not by a businessman, he said.

Response of Health Net

As a response to the accusations being thrown at them, the management of Health Net gave a statement in regards to it, saying that the current medical care today is a complex system, wherein there would be different medical opinions as to what constitutes as necessary medical care.

They’ve added that they have followed the guidelines when it comes to medical care, which has been established by the state of California’s two regulators, namely the Department of Managed Health Care (MHC) and the Department of Insurance, respectively.

Plaintiff’s Statements Over The Issue

To provide evidence and statement against Health Net, one of the plaintiffs of the said lawsuit by the name of Robert Mendoza, a 59-year old resident from Monrovia living in Los Angeles. Unfortunately for him, he was diagnosed with a rare type of prostate cancer. His doctor told him that he needs a specialized form of surgery, as cancer he had was very rare, as it can only occur within 60 worldwide.

In regards to the issue, he stated that he was forced to raise $30,000 from his funds meant to be used for paying income taxes and some from her wife’s life insurance policy since Health Net denied the claims of Mendoza.

It looks like prostate cancer (and its variants) is not a “necessary medical care” to them, apparently. Mendoza added that he felt that he was deceived by Health Net when his claims weren’t approved by their management, since he was a long-time member of the said company, starting from 1990. After his surgery that he paid out from his pocket and with some assistance from her wife’s life insurance policy, Mendoza was cancer-free a year later.

Another Plaintiff by the name of Kalana Penner has also given out a statement in regards to Health Net’s lack of action and care when it comes to its own patients who are in need of using their own plans & services. In Penner’s case, her request for a permanent device that can help her cope with her debilitating back, neck, and head pain was declined by Health Net. However, that decision was reversed in 2011 after the California Department of Insurance ruled out that Penner’s request should be covered.

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yikesharringrove · 4 years

Note

maybe? 👉👈 steve taking a really long time with college (like on one year and off one yours year, on, off, on, off) and he still doesn't really know what he wants to do and he gets really frustrated bc billy just did college all in one go and steve is taking forever and he feels down on himself? idk im feeling the whump rn???

Steve had left high school having no idea what he wanted from the rest of his life.

That’s not true, he had some idea.

He knew he wanted to leave Hawkins, follow Billy wherever he was going. He knew he wanted to be with Billy for the rest of his life, he knew he wanted to leave the past behind and make new friends, people who were kind, and fun, and didn’t bat an eye when Billy pulled him into his lap.

But that’s about it.

So when Billy graduates high school, and gets a full ride to UC Berkeley, and they move into a cheap apartment in downtown Oakland, Steve is so happy that he got out.

He gets a job waiting tables at a restaurant down the street, pays half the rent and buys the groceries while Billy’s in class.

But then two years pass, and Billy’s soaring through college, working to his degrees, plural, because he just couldn’t decide between studying English Literature or Biology with a focus in research.

So he’s majoring in both and getting a minor in Italian because then I’ll know what you’re sayin’ when you start horny babblin’.

And Steve was at the same restaurant.

True, he was assistant manager now, and it came with a pretty okay raise, and he even gets dental insurance, but he feels so stuck.

So he enrolls in community college.

He starts with some general classes, still completely unsure of what he wants to study.

Billy said it was okay to just rule out things you don’t want to study, to nearly fail a math course and know that accounting is not for you.

So when Steve finishes his first year, he at least knows what he doesn’t want to pursue.

Meanwhile Billy has an internship at a lab through Kaiser Permanente. And he can read and write Italian than Steve can.

Steve is walking home from his job at the restaurant when it happens. He’s crossing the street, and gets hit by a car.

He’s taken to the hospital, where he’s informed of a fractured spine and another concussion.

He’s told his injury could’ve been much more severe, that he will not experience paralysis, but he needs physical therapy and walking will be difficult for a while.

Their finances take a big hit.

Billy’s internship doesn’t pay super well, and with Steve being unable to work for the foreseeable future, he’s fired.

Billy has insurance through the school, but because on paper, he and Steve have no real relation, Steve’s medical bills come out of pocket.

So Steve is bedridden for months. He can’t work or get groceries, or do fucking anything but lay there.

They can’t afford physical therapy.

But Billy has a friend studying to be a PT, and she comes over every Saturday, and practices her technique on him in exchange for ten bucks and a few beers.

And so the money Steve tucked away for school is rapidly diminishing.

By the time Billy graduates, Steve is a year into recovery. He still gets dizzy at odd intervals, and his back gets stiff when it rains, but Billy gets a job right away, doing research on flu vaccines.

And Steve goes back to work.

He gets a desk job, something he won’t have to be on his feet all day for. He works reception for a message therapist, which comes with free massages, which work wonders on his back.

So in the fall, he decides to give his education another shot.

He learns that history is not for him, and that his nutrition course was fine until they began looking into how the body processes nutrients, and he was fucking lost. He takes a few business classes, thinking, hoping genetics would take over and this is something he could do.

But his dad was right to take away the job opportunity at his own firm. Steve was not cut out for this.

After a year of research, Billy is promoted three times. He ends up working on some extremely important study that Steve does not understand for the fucking life of him.

But he sits and listens every time Billy explains what he did that day, even though Steve gets so sad when Billy mentions having to kill the lab mice to study their bodies.

So Steve is two years into community college, five years into living in Oakland with Billy, and he still is lost.

He takes a semester off, working more hours, trying to save up some money.

Because Billy is beginning to think about grad school, and that shit’s not cheap.

But Billy decides to postpone that, work for a few more years, and besides, he’s caught between studying something to put him in a research field, or just straight up going to medical school to study infectious disease.

Because Billy could. He’s smart enough for medical school, smart enough to research and be a doctor.

And Steve has a smushy spine and half a degree in nothing.

A semester off turns into a year.

A year and a semester.

Two years.

They’ve been in California for seven years, and Billy gets into grad school in San Diego. They move south and Billy spends late nights pursuing a Masters in Immunology.

And Steve works the front desk at a pediatrician’s office.

He’s flipping through a course catalog from the San Diego Community College when Billy comes home from his new job, the position he got after applying to only three labs.

He kissed the top of Steve’s head, moving to grab himself a beer from the fridge.

“You thinkin’ of going back?”

“I don’t know.” Steve slid the catalog closed. “Is it even worth it?”

“That’s something you have to decide.” Billy sat down, sliding the catalog towards him. Steve had crossed off the classes he had already taken, the ones he new he wouldn’t like. “And you know, going to school isn’t the only option. You could get an apprenticeship, master a trade.”

“I can’t do anything where I need to bend over for really any length of time. So that rules out plumber, and car mechanic, and anything physical like construction, or landscaping or even general contracting is right out.”

Steve could feel the old shame, the doubt and the self hatred crawling up his spine.

“I have nothing to offer. I have no discerning skills, and in seven years I’ve only made it through two years of goddamn community college, and here you are, ripping through grad school like a fourth degree is easy.”

“Stevie, you’ve got a lot to offer. We just gotta find something that suits you.” He took Steve’s pen, turning to the back page of the catalog. “Okay, we’re gonna write down all of you strengths, and think of career paths that could fit those. I’ll go first, you’re extremely caring. You’d be good at any career where you care for people.”

“But I can’t study nursing or something, I barely understood my biology 101 course. Plus, nurses are strong. I can’t lift more than like, thirty pounds.”

“There’re way more caring fields than nursing, Pretty Boy. Although I would love if you were my nurse.” Billy smirked at him, leaning in to plant a sloppy kiss to Steve’s cheek as he rolled his eyes. “Another strength: your emotional intelligence is through the fucking roof.” He wrote it down. “Okay, I’ve said tow, so you say one.”

“Um, I think that I’m good at making people laugh?”

“Yes! You are. Perfect.” Billy scribbled it down. “You’re a good leader.”

“I’m pretty good at reading people.” Billy wrote Intuitive, can smell a douchebag from a mile away.

“You’re good under pressure.”

“Sometimes.”

“Every time I’ve seen. You’re good at keeping calm and keeping others calm.”

“I guess.”

“Nah, Stevie. Positives only. Say a strength.”

“I’m, uh, I’m good at, bilingual?” Billy stared at him. “Like, I’m bilingual.”

“Are you sure? I don’t think that was English, even.” Steve slapped his chest, Billy laughed. “I’m joking. You are bilingual. You’re also really good at making others feel safe.”

“I was always pretty alright at public speaking.”

“You’ve got a great eye for detail.”

“I’m good at teamwork, and delegating.”

“You’re really compassionate, too.” Billy drew a line under the strengths side. “Okay, so now we’ve got some of your strengths, think about what you’d want in a job, and we can match everything up and think about some careers that could fit.” Steve nodded, racking his brain.

“Um, I would want to work with kind people, I would kind of like to do something, you know, worthwhile. I’d like to be in charge of something. Like it’s fine if I have a boss to answer to, but I’d like to be fairly independent.”

“I already have so many ideas.”

“Lay ‘em on me.” Steve sat back, closing his eyes to try and picture everything Billy threw out.

“I’ve actually always thought you’d be a really good teacher. Especially if you did like, kindergarten. Just got to be around little kids all day.” Steve could actually see it. “I also think you’d be a could social worker, like to work with Child Protective Services, or something. Um, you’d be good at even planning. Or I think you’d be really good working at a nonprofit of some kind. Maybe you could be the event planner for a nonprofit.”

And Steve was sitting there, and suddenly, he had four career paths, just sitting right in front of him. Four super attainable career paths.

“Wait, wait those make sense.” Billy beamed at him.

“Yeah, that’s because I know you, Pretty Boy.” Billy opened the catalog. “So, I think if you choose to enroll, you should pick a few classes, like, Intro to Social Work, Early Childhood Education 100, and maybe like, Sociology, and see from there.”

Steve stared at the course descriptions for what Billy circled.

“Thank you for helping me. I’m sorry this has taken me so long.”

“It’s okay. Everyone is on a different timeline. And it’s not like you got to explore options in high school. You were told business until your dad decided that nevermind. So it’s understandable that this took you a minute. Plus, you went through hell with your back.”

Steve sat up straight, stretching out his back.

“But, I mean, the back thing kinda happened to you too, and you still made it through all your schooling.”

“Sure, I watched you go through it, but I was not in the pain you were. And like, emotionally, it fucking sucked to watch the love of my goddamn life go through something, and I couldn’t even afford therapy. Like, I felt so helpless, but that’s nothing to what you went through literally experiencing it.” Steve took Billy’s hand, linking their fingers together, pressing a kiss to his knuckles.

“You did the best you could. Everything was shit for like, that whole year.”

“I cannot telly you how many times I would go into an individual study room in the library and just like, sob for a while.And then I’d get so mad at myself, thinking of you at home, hurting and not even able to get yourself out of bed, and I’d race home feeling like shit.”

Steve scrubbed his fingers through Billy’s hair. He had cut it a while ago, kept it short these days.

“You were doing everything you could for me. I would just sit in bed all day, and think about how amazing you are. Like I would just think about all the good times we’ve had together, and how much I love you.”

“That explains why we didn’t fight for like, that whole year.” Steve laughed. Billy leaned to kiss him softly.

“And you know, even now we’ve done this, there’s still no rush on you. You don’t have to go back to school this year, of this decade, or anytime until you’re ready. Until you want to.”

“Well now, I feel like there’s a fucking light at the end of the tunnel. I’m almost, excited. Is this how you feel? Excited to go to school?”

“Welcome to the nerd life, Sweet Thing.” Billy drained the last of his beer. “You wanna go out tonight? Celebrate?”

“Like, go out to dinner, or go out?”

“Oh, just like dinner. Be home by eight thirty, in bed by nine, missionary with the lights off, and asleep by nine fifteen.”

“Sign me the fuck up.”

#billy is based a lot on my sister in this #and steve is based on her best friend #any life path is valid #there's kind of a lot of set up but yeah #also i live for them settling down and becoming a totally boring mundane couple but they're just SO HAPPY toghether that's my shit #yikes writes #steve harrington #billy hargrove #steve harrington x billy hargrove #billy hargrove x steve harrington #harringrove #harringrive #harringrove fic #harringrove ficlet #harringrove drabble

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lunarr-rrose · 3 years

Video

What is the Deal with Property Insurance?

https://u109893.h.reiblackbook.com/generic11/the-storage-stud/what-is-the-deal-with-property-insurance/

Crum-Halsted is a full service insurance and risk management agency headquartered in Sycamore, IL with six offices in Illinois providing outstanding service, security, and peace of mind for businesses, families, and individuals for over 90 years.

Greg Jones is the Vice President of the Chicago Real Estate Council and Director with the Rogers Park Builders Group as well as a Deacon at Christ Community Church in Lemont. When not working, he enjoys watching the cubs with a good cigar and a great whiskey in hand, playing poker, and riding motorcycles.

https://crumhalsted.com/

Fernando O. Angelucci is the Founder and President of Titan Wealth Group. He also leads the firm’s finance and acquisitions departments. Fernando Angelucci and Steven Wear founded Titan Wealth Group in 2015, and under his leadership, the firm’s revenue has grown over 100% year over year. Today,

Find out more at

https://www.thestoragestud.com

https://titanwealthgroup.com/

Listen to our Podcast: https://thestoragestud.podbean.com/e/what-is-the-deal-with-property-insurance/

Titan Wealth Group operates nationwide sourcing off market investment properties for Titan Wealth Group’s acquisition as well as servicing a network of thousands of active real estate investors world wide. Prior to founding Titan Wealth Group, Fernando worked for Dow Chemical, a Fortune 50 company, rolling out a flagship product estimated to gross $1B in global revenues.

With an engineering background, Fernando is able to approach real estate investing with a keen analytical mindset that allows Titan Wealth Group to identify opportunities and project accurate pictures of future performance. Fernando graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a B.A. degree in Technical Systems Management.

Titan Wealth Group was founded in 2015 with the vision of gathering individual investors that have the means to invest but lack either the time to find high-yield investment opportunities or the access to these off-market deals. All too often, founders Fernando Angelucci & Steven Wear came across investors who had deployed their capital only to regret the lack of consistency or degree of returns their investments were producing. In response, Titan Wealth Group provides access to highly-vetted real estate secured investments and off-market acquisition opportunities primarily in the Greater Chicago MSA. Today, Titan Wealth Group not only assists individual investors but has grown to support the acquisition goals and capital deployment of investment groups, private equity firms, and real estate investment trusts (REITs).

As a facilitator of wealth growth, Titan Wealth Group believes that success is not limited to the sum of our efforts and is infinite with what can be accomplished through partnership.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fernando Angelucci (00:16): Hey everybody, welcome back. We're doing a special Thanksgiving podcast here today. So on this episode of What's The Deal, the real estate podcast that gives answers, we'll be covering What's The Deal with Property I nsurance. Real estate is one of the few investment vehicles that you can purchase in property insurance for, you now, yay for hard assets. So joining me today to provide some coverage on the topic of Property Insurance is my good friend and colleague Greg Jones. So how are we doing Greg?

Greg Jones (00:51): Good. How about you, Fernando?

Fernando Angelucci (00:53): Doing good. I'm doing good. It's 72, 73 degrees outside in California. I'm glad I'm not in Chicago at the moment.

Greg Jones (01:01): It's not quite that nice here right now.

Fernando Angelucci (01:06): Okay. So Greg, on this podcast, we have all types of listeners from super professional, you know, multi million dollar portfolio, all the way to the new investor or someone that is trying to become a new investor. So let's back up a little bit and, you know, explain who you are and what you do.

Greg Jones (01:26): Got it. So my name is Greg Jones. I am a risk advisor with Crum Halstead Agency. So I work with real estate companies and developers as well as contractors around consulting around risk and placement of insurance.

Fernando Angelucci (01:42): How'd you get into the business?

Greg Jones (01:45): I was introduced to a guy that owned an agency shoot, this is probably almost 10 years ago now. Right place, right time. I grew up in a background of construction, both my dad and my brother owned construction companies. Had friends that were in real estate, didn't want to do construction for a living. So I figured I would give insurance a try and it ended up being a really good fit.

Fernando Angelucci (02:10): Oh, okay. I didn't know that about you.

Greg Jones (02:13): Yeah.

Fernando Angelucci (02:14): Figured it would come up in one of those late night poker games.

Greg Jones (02:17): Yeah, exactly.

Fernando Angelucci (02:20): Okay. So for people that don't know what is Property Insurance and what does a risk advisor do?

Greg Jones (02:31): So property insurance is realistically, it's a like a contract. So the owner of the property has a contract in place with an insurance company, say whether that's a Travelers or a Hartford or whoever the carrier might be. And in that contract, it will lay out in the event of a claim. Here's what the insurance company is going to pay out. And that covers both damage to the property as well as if there's an injury to someone at the property. So the contract States, what the limits are, what the causes of that claim are covered versus certain kinds of causes of claim might not be covered, unless you buy that or purchase it as an add-on, a good example of that is earthquake coverage. Earthquake isn't automatically included, but you can purchase it as an additional coverage line item, but it's all built into a contract that lasts for 12 months between the owner and the insurance company.

Fernando Angelucci (03:28): Okay. And then with those types of con, let's bring it into reality with some examples. So say I'm a new investor. I'm going to be buying a four flat property in Chicago. I'm going to live in one unit myself, rent out the other three units, let's say each units, 1200 square feet and the buildings' a hundred years old, what am I looking at for coverage? Or what should I be looking at for coverage? Where are the premiums going to fall? And what are some things that I should be paying attention to or looking for in those contracts?

Greg Jones (04:04): Right. So the first question you have to answer, especially because you're living in one of those units, is how are you going to cover the property? You could cover it on a personal insurance policy, or you could cover it on a commercial policy because it's four units, that's the breaking point. You could cover it either way. After you get to five units, it's always considered a commercial policy.

Fernando Angelucci (04:27): Okay.

Greg Jones (04:27): If you go the route of commercial, which is typically what I recommend the coverage form is a little bit broader in what it will cover you for. The downside is you have to treat yourself because you're living in one of those units as a tenant, you're a tenant within your own building. So your personal property as the resident, isn't going to be covered, but your asset, the building contents within the rental properties, those are covered under the contract.

Greg Jones (04:59): When you're looking at a four unit building, based on the square footage, there's typically a dollar amount that insurance carriers will look at in terms of we're want to cover this for what it will cost to replace it. If you have a catastrophic loss, right? Every carrier has their own algorithms they'll use for this, but typically it comes down to a dollar amount per square foot. The average we're seeing at least in Chicago right now, if it's joist and masonry or better is typically anywhere from 150 to $170 a square foot is what it would cost to completely rebuild. So we would look at what does that cost look like? Then you can set up whatever deductible structure you want. Deductibles go as low as, I mean, realistically, you can go as low as you use the $500. I never seen anybody go that low. Usually the average is, you know, 25 to 10,000 for a deductible. So then if you do have a loss, everything that it's covered under that contract is paid out minus the cost of your deductible.

Fernando Angelucci (06:00): Exactly. Now, one of the things that occurs quite often in Chicago is we have these pockets, these neighborhoods, where the cost of buy the property is significantly below the replacement value. For example you know, my partner, Steven?

Greg Jones (06:16): Yeah.

Fernando Angelucci (06:16): He has a property where, you know, it's 140 year old masonry and limestone building the cost to replace that type of building would be a 1.4, 1.3, 1.4 million, but he bought it for significantly lower than that in those types of situations, what do you recommend doing with the coverage amount with the policy?

Greg Jones (06:42): So it really comes down to as the building owner, what is your goal in the event of a claim, right? So you want to make sure you have enough coverage so that if there's a partial claim or a partial loss is what they call it. So let's say hale comes through and destroys the roof. It's not a total loss. You want to have enough to repair that roof.

Fernando Angelucci (07:03): Right.

Greg Jones (07:03): The question is, if you were to have a catastrophic loss, the building is completely destroyed or it's damaged so much that the city comes in and says, you have to take this building down. It's now a safety hazard, right? In that kind of scenario, what do you want to do? Do you want to rebuild something there? Or would you rather just take the money and go buy something else and sell the land after the debris has been removed, right?

Greg Jones (07:28): So the answer to that question really drives how we advise, typically in these situations, I find the investor really would rather just take the money and go buy something else because that coverage amount that you've got for that partial loss is more than enough to buy at least another building like it in that area, or maybe even more, right? So you get this dilemma of, I bought it for, you know, say 250,000, but it will cost me 1.5 million to rebuild it. Right? Insurance companies will allow you in some cases and it depends on the carrier, but they will allow you to do what's called a stated amount, or it's a, some carriers call it a loss limit. So, you as the building owner can say, this is how much I want to cover my building for. I recognize it's not enough to rebuild it, but I want to cover it. So let's use this building and as an example, you buy it for 250,000 let's say it's 1.5 to fully rebuild it. And you say, I only want to cover it for half a million dollars, half a million will cover any partial loss that happens. If it's a total loss, I'd rather just take the money and go buy something else. The rating for that is typically a little bit higher, but it still ends up coming out much less than it would be if you were to fully insure it for $1.5 million.

Fernando Angelucci (08:51): And when you say rating, what do you mean by that?

Greg Jones (08:54): So, the premium for insurance for property is driven by a rate. So whatever value is selected for that building. So let's say a million dollars for round number purposes. So you take that million dollars, divide it by a hundred and you multiply it by a rate, and that equals your premium. So let's say it's you're getting a 20 cent rate. So for a million dollar building divide it by 10, multiply it by 0.20, that's your property premium.

Fernando Angelucci (09:24): I see.

Greg Jones (09:24): Rates vary based on the asset type. So typically you'll see multi-family tends to be the highest rated asset class out there where retail is considered a little bit less hazardous, office and industrial tend to be considered the least risky. So you could have a building of the same square footage. Let's say you're at a 18 cent rate for apartment building, same size building would be a, what? 10 to 12 cent rate for retail. You might get as low as 8 to 10 cents on office or industrial, just depending on what the asset class is and where it's located.

Fernando Angelucci (10:06): Interesting. Now with, let's say someone in what situations would somebody opt for the full replacement cost is that if you have like a super custom property that, you know, you can't find anywhere else, or?

Greg Jones (10:20): If you have a super custom property, or if the idea is I like where I'm located, the land has significant value. Even if I was going to take the money, I would rebuild something here. I might not rebuild the same thing. So another way that you can do it is some carriers offer what's called Functional Replacement Cost. Right? I seen this particularly with real estate related to older church properties and some need, especially you think about Chicago land. There is all of these churches that were built in the 18 hundreds, the architectures' crazy. You're not going to rebuild one of those just like it stands right now. Right?

Fernando Angelucci (10:58): Right.

Greg Jones (10:59): But you look at, if we were to have a total loss, we would want to rebuild something, same purpose, but we're not going to rebuild it the same way. And so you can use, what's called a Functional Replacement Cost, where you'll estimate based on, if we had a loss, what would we rebuild? What would the square footage be? Same questions, but you're not basing on what's there, you're basing it on what you would build.

Fernando Angelucci (11:24): Right.That's interesting. With the property insurance business, there's a lot of moving parts and it's one of those vendors in the real estate space that usually a lot of the investors don't actually know what goes on behind, right behind the curtains here.

Greg Jones (11:43): Right.

Fernando Angelucci (11:43): Walk us through. When I talk to you, it almost seems like every person that works within your organization, It's almost running like it's their own little business with inside of the organization. Almost like you're not entrepreneur or entrepreneur, some people would say, what is the day in the life of a risk advisor look like, what are you doing on a day-to-day basis?

Greg Jones (12:04): So on a day-to-day basis my time is usually split in a few different categories, right? So there's the time that goes into just the day to day servicing of your existing clients, right? That's helping guide through the process of whether it's an acquisition, that's coming up a disposition, a refinance, there's always moving parts, particularly within real estate. Right? And so there's a lot of day to day servicing. I mean, the interactions with a real estate client versus let's say a manufacturer is completely different.

Fernando Angelucci (12:38): Right.

Greg Jones (12:38): Right. Just because of all those moving parts. So part of the time is spent with that servicing with myself and my team. There's another element of it, of I'm trying to connect with new people. So before we hit a, you know, pandemic that involved going to lots of events and networking and, you know, all that came to a screeching halt in March. So now it's been a lot more time on the phone working through marketing, trying to figure out different creative ways to connect with people, to bring in new clients. Right?

Fernando Angelucci (13:09): Right.

Greg Jones (13:10): And then once you open that opportunity and you're starting to work on a new client there's a lot of time that goes into underwriting. So if an investor says, Hey, we want you to look at our portfolio. There's a lot of detail that you work through with them to gather the right information. And then you're compiling that information and really painting a picture for your underwriters. So, I mean, people have asked me before, what's the difference between a good broker in a bad broker or a good adviser, bad advisors is it's really making sure that you're painting a picture for an underwriter to make that client look really good versus here's 12 locations, here's all the basic raw data, what's my rate? You know, if you actually go into more detail and explain, like here's what the company does, here's what their practices look like, here's what they require of tenants of vendors coming in and out of the space to do work. You can actually derive a much better result than just providing a spreadsheet asking for someone to get you a quote.

Fernando Angelucci (14:12): Interesting. So almost painting a picture of the whole business, not just that one property, you're looking for.

Greg Jones (14:18): Exactly.

Fernando Angelucci (14:18):

To quote on.

Greg Jones (14:19): Exactly.

Fernando Angelucci (14:20): Interesting. How about on the other side? So that's, you know, that's your prospect side, if you will, but how about the actual carriers that you match up with? How do you find these guys? How do you know if a deal is gonna be right for a certain carrier? Cause I know there's hundreds of insurance companies around.

Fernando Angelucci (14:38): Hundreds.

Fernando Angelucci (14:38): In Iowa and I saw every one of the buildings.

Greg Jones (14:42): We're all headquartered there.

Fernando Angelucci (14:42): Yeah.

Greg Jones (14:42): Well, maybe not all of them, but a lot. So yeah. Every, so every insurance company has a different appetite, right? So there is some time spent with those and what those underwriters figuring out what that appetite looks like. So some carriers will, every carrier will say they like real estate in some capacity. Right? But the question is what kind of real estate that you like. So back in the day is when carriers would stop by the office and, you know, have a catch-up meeting with us, you know, they would talk about their appetite, what they've been hitting on recently where they've seen success. And so the first question is always, what kind of real estate are you writing? So in some cases, it's, they really like office and industrial, some carriers really like apartments, few carriers, like every asset class, there are a few. And then I would say in today's market, it's even changing beyond what it has been historically, just because of the unknowns of, you know, what will come of the pandemic and particularly around office and retail and what that's gonna look like. So we've even seen carriers backing away from those asset classes where they historically have been of the most appetite.

Fernando Angelucci (15:55): Yeah. That makes a lot of sense. So for example, how many carriers do you work with if you had to guess?

Greg Jones (16:03): So in the real estate space, I would say we probably have 15 or 20 that really focus in on real estate that specialize in that. So the team that I came over with that help launch our Chicago office has really put a lot of emphasis into partnering with the right companies that work with real estate because real estate is our focus. And so, if there's a market we've come across, that we find is really competitive in the real estate space, we do what we can to get a contract with them. So there's very few markets that specialize in real estate that we don't work with.

Fernando Angelucci (16:36): Yeah. And it's funny, we've worked with each other in the past and you really know which carriers have an appetite for what type of assets. You know, we do some niche style assets, not only the single family, multifamily, but also the self storage buildings.

Greg Jones (16:51): Uh-huh.

Fernando Angelucci (16:51): And you've gotten quotes to me not only quickly, but usually beating out almost all the competition on the premium. And I think one of the things that really helped us, is the fact that you do have a really good ability to paint kind of that picture. Here's what the company's like. Now I have, I'm somebody that always believes that you should get insurance and, you know, plan for the worst, but hope for the best I have come across a lot of investors that do the opposite.

Fernando Angelucci (17:20): I survived.

Fernando Angelucci (17:20): And swear by real estate insurance is a scam and the carriers never pay out. So for you, what would you say? Why should a real estate investor have property insurance? And on top of that, why should they use a risk advisor or a broker as opposed to just contacting a company directly?

Greg Jones (17:43): Good question. So I would say, why should they have property insurance? The short and simple answer is in most cases, if there's a bank involved, it's going to be required.

Fernando Angelucci (17:54): Right.

Greg Jones (17:54): Where it's an option is where you actually own the asset a hundred percent. There's no lending requirements. You can choose whether you're going to insure the building or not. I've seen this particularly be the case when you've got developers who are buying, let's say a vacant property that they're going to repurpose, right? So usually they'll in a lot of cases, they'll buy it for cash or there won't be a bank involved if you will. So they have a choice whether they want to cover that building or not. The, I would say the reason you want to is because you want to have something that protects your investment, right? And it's not just the asset itself, especially when you're looking at development projects, you might purchase a building for, let's say a million dollars.

Greg Jones (18:43): You're going to put a couple of million into it, repurpose it. It's not just covering that initial million dollar investment. It's also looking at what is the potential income that you stand to lose if you lose that asset. Right?

Fernando Angelucci (18:58): Right.

Greg Jones (18:58): So insurance is, I mean, if you think about it, there's not a product out there where you can spend, let's say, I mean, I'm thinking back to one that I did for a client a while back bought a vacant building for it was like half a million dollars. Once he was done with the repurposing of it, he would have been into it for probably about 2.5. And the monetary return on this was going to be over half a million dollars a year. Once it was all done, the coverage of insurance was like $8,000, but we were covering the building for $2 million. Right? So you're spending eight in the event of a total loss. You're getting all of your investment back minus your deductible for 8K to protect an investment of significantly more. So, I mean, being someone that's fairly risk averse I would strongly recommend it.

Fernando Angelucci (19:59): Yeah. And so you're talking about the significant income that, that property would bring in. Is there some type of a rider that you can get for say, instead of it being a total loss, but say something happens where all of a sudden you lose your income generating potential from that building. Is there some type of like loss of rents protection or income protection that you can put on as a rider?

Greg Jones (20:20): So typically you'll have a loss of income or what's called business interruption coverage that's built in. So once you have a stabilized asset, it's generating rental income, you can cover that two ways. You can do it on a stated amount. So you're stating for every location that you have, this is what our annual income is. And if there's a claim, so let's say there was a fire at the building, right? The tenants have to relocate because you're doing all these repairs, it's going to take six months to do the repairs.

Fernando Angelucci (20:51): Yeah.

Greg Jones (20:51):The policy will pay out that loss rental income for those six months until you're back up and operational again. That's based on a stated amount, it functions the same way. A lot of companies prefer to do what's called actual losses sustained, which means you report what the rental income is, but you're not capped at that number. This is particularly important on portfolios where tenants change, right? You don't want to have to go back and report every single time. Well, this tenant moved out, this tenant, moved in. The rents went up a little bit, you know, and change that number all the time. So having actual losses sustained what they will do if there's a claim, they'll look at at the time of the claim, what was the rental income? And that's what they start paying until the repairs are done.

Fernando Angelucci (21:42): And I know we're skipping ahead here, but what are your recommendations on the two methods stated income versus actual? What do you prefer? What do you advise people to go with?

Greg Jones (21:54): Oh, I always prefer actual losses sustained. If you can get it just because it makes it very clean. So, I mean, a lot of times when you'll have an investor that's buying a new asset, they're typically inheriting tenants, right? They might be doing things to the building, providing more value, updates, all kinds of things. Right? And with that comes typically at lease renewal time adjustments in the lease. And if you have actual losses sustained, it doesn't matter what those adjustments are. You can have a unit that's going forward $2,000 a month. You put a lot of value into it, updates, improvements. You're going to increase that from, you know, $2,000 a month to 2,500 a month or whatever the case might be. You don't have to go back and report it every single time. So you don't want to have a cap on what could be paid out for lost income. Actual losses sustained is a much cleaner way to do it.

Fernando Angelucci (22:49): Gotcha. So what are some of the decisions that an investor or someone would be faced with when choosing insurance, what should they be looking out for? What are the things that you're recommending they look for, or pushing them or nudging them towards getting, if it's additional riders, if it's certain types of policies, kind of walk us through that.

Greg Jones (23:13): So there's a few things that I always look for. First time I see a policy. So one of those things is co-insurance which is a very confusing thing for most investors, co-insurance has to do with how much you're going to cover your building for. So the average investor will always cover their building for replacement costs. Typically that's the most standard way to do it. So let's say you have a building that's valued at a million dollars at replacement cost. Co-insurance allows you to insure it for a little less than that. So typically you'll see either 80% or 90%, but if you go below that, there's, what's called a co-insurance penalty, which means, let's say the buildings' a million dollars in value. You have an 80% co-insurance clause in your policy. That means that you can be fully insured up to 80% of the value.

Greg Jones (24:08): So in this case it would be 800,000, right? If you are insured for less than that, and there's a claim, even if it's a partial claim, they will subtract a percentage off of what would have been your claim paid amount based on how far under that 80% you are. So let's say you're insured only to 60% value. Well, you're 20% below where you should have been any claim that gets paid out is going to be docked 20%.

Fernando Angelucci (24:38): I see.

Greg Jones (24:38):

So what we do is, we look at trying to put everything on what's called Agreed Amount, which waives co-insurance, which basically is stating, I mean, we've gone through the process to make sure we're insured adequately, right? But we don't want any risk of co-insurance or penalties. If there's, you know, evaluation difference between the time we wrote the policy and the time of claim happens. So we are going to the carrier is a green in their contract. They will pay out up to X, no questions asked if that is on agreed amount. So that's one of the big ones we look at. One of the overlooked coverages I think is sewer and drain backup. And it's oftentimes put at a very low limit, but if you've gone through claims before, water damage, and you're a lower level, that can cause a significant damage to repair.

Fernando Angelucci (25:31): 60 to $80,000 worth of damage. Greg Jones (25:34):

Exactly. So that's something that I always want to make sure is at a very good limit. That's included in the Chicago market the other one is ordinance and law coverage.

Fernando Angelucci (25:46): Yeah.

Greg Jones (25:46): So it's not automatically included, but it provides coverage for, let's say you have a catastrophic loss and you're dealing with a building that was built in 1912.

Fernando Angelucci (25:56): Right?

Greg Jones (25:56): It's been updated, but there's a lot of things that are grandfathered in, just because of the age of the building. When you reconstruct, you have to reconstruct according to 2020 building code.

Fernando Angelucci (26:09):

Right.

Greg Jones (26:10): And that's an additional expense that is not automatically covered. So making sure that you have those kinds of things. So we, I really focus on trying to get into the weeds on this kind of thing, to make sure you know exactly what it is you're purchasing, and that it's actually protecting your asset, right? Because there's nothing worse than you go out and you purchase a policy from your broker, you have a claim. And then in that process, something's not covered. And you're like, well, I paid for this policy. Why is this not covered? It's like, well, this wasn't included, or this was sub limited. So only a certain amount of it gets paid and you're left spending money out of pocket. The last thing you want is to spend money out of pocket after you've had a claim, and you're already dealing with that headache.

Fernando Angelucci (27:00): Right. How would you advise someone choose the right coverage for their building in a word? It seems like property insurance is kind of like this pull lever here lose a little bit on the other side, pull lever on the other side, loses a little bit here. Usually it's with premium or with, which coverage amount, you're talking about things that are, let's call them named coverages versus unnamed.

Greg Jones (27:26): Right.

Fernando Angelucci (27:26): You know, issues. So what would you advise for someone and how they should approach choosing the right coverage?

Greg Jones (27:35): So typically the way I've always approached it is, I want to lay every option out there. That's on the table, right? These are the coverages that are available. Here's the tiers at which you can get these coverages. Right? So think about sewer and drain backup. For example, I can show you if you want 25,000 of coverage, it's going to cost of this. If you want 50, it's going to cause this, if you want 250, it's gonna cost that. Right? And then based on the size of the building what's your lower level construction type, right? Is it all block and stone? Okay. You probably don't need as much as then you're looking at, you know, fixtures and things like that versus yeah. We have a frame drywall, carpeted, you know, lower level, right?

Fernando Angelucci (28:19): Yeah.

Greg Jones (28:19): That's gonna sustain a lot more damage. So there's a lot of consulting around, based on what you have. This is what's recommended, but here are all the options. And so you lay that out on the table, make a recommendation but at the end of the day, it's up to that investor to choose what they want to proceed with.

Fernando Angelucci (28:37): Okay. What is the most common mistake or mistakes you see real estate investors make when it comes to property insurance?

Greg Jones (28:46): I would say the most common mistake I see is that the first thing they do is they look at what the premium is and they make the decision based on the premium without actually diving into all of those little ancillary coverages. Right? So they'll look at what the premium is and how much is the building covered for, they won't look at things like co-insurance, they won't look at is there any limitation on what my business interruption coverages, is equipment breakdown included all of those little things that if there's a claim will have a big impact. They're just looking at my billings cover for a million dollars and it costs this much. That's the least expensive one. Let's go with that. Or also looking at, what carrier are you partnering with? How does that carrier respond? If there's a claim. Or they carry that really will push back and try to find any possible way, not pay a claim or do they have a good track record of really working with their insurance, right?

Fernando Angelucci (29:47): How do you find that information?

Greg Jones (29:50): So that's where I think working with a adviser comes into play, especially one that's ingrained in the industry by the industry. I mean the real estate industry. So someone who's worked with multiple carriers has been able to see claims walked out from multiple carriers, and be able to say, I've seen experience with this carrier, They're all willing to offer you terms. Here's the pros and cons of each one and what I think their strong suits are.

Fernando Angelucci (30:19): Gotcha. How about on the flip side, what are some of the common mistakes you've seen risk advisors make?

Greg Jones (30:29): I would say the two that I see the most would be not going into full detail and doing the full underwriting themselves on the front end. So, like I said before, there's a lot of brokers out there. I mean, there's thousands of insurance brokers, right? I mean, you can go to anybody, you want to get insurance pretty much.

Fernando Angelucci (30:48): Right.

Greg Jones (30:50): But if they are not going into that full detail and figuring out all of the things on the front end before they start quoting something with a carrier. There's a lot of things that can get missed. Right? Not actually doing the legwork to make sure are we covering the building adequately, are we running the right reports to make sure that this asset will be fully protected up to the investment level that the investor has, right? Are we including the right coverages?

Greg Jones (31:20): Are we asking for the right endorsements or add-ons right. I would say that's probably the biggest mistake because that's where you find they rush through the process, they get a quote, something happens and then there's an item that wasn't covered, and then it's up to that broker to make that right. So I would say that's probably the biggest mistake I've seen. The other is just not actually, like I was talking about before painting that picture with an underwriter, the difference that you can get for a client through that is huge. It's really, that's a way to create value for an investor when you do it that way versus just spit balling out there to any carrier you can to get a quote. And it's also a way to potentially lose the client in the long run, because you're going to get the best pricing when you paint that picture, versus you're just marketing it out to everybody and taking a shotgun approach. It's very easy for somebody that really knows what they're doing to come in and create that value drive down that cost, and then you lose the client. So.

Fernando Angelucci (32:37): One of the things that I have seen is trying to do everything yourself, as opposed to building out a team to help you with that. And you've alluded to it multiple times that you have a team around you that helps you fill these duties. What does that look like? What does your team look like? And what are they responsible for each?

Greg Jones (33:00): So on the team is built out of there's multiple advisers in my firm multiple ones of us that focus in real estate. I think one of the real advantages is the way we've built out this office is we have professionals that are focused not only within real estate, but within various aspects of real estate. So you have guys that are really focused in the multifamily space. You have guys that are focused in commercial, meaning like office retail, industrial. You have others that are focused in condominium associations, right? So it creates a wealth of knowledge that you can pull from. So let's say you're working on something that's a little bit outside of your wheelhouse. You have that resource that you can bring in to make sure that nothing's getting missed through that process, right? There's expertise there. There's also a service team that handles a lot of the transactional pieces that happen within a real estate account. So when you're going through a refinance there's documentation that the lender needs to see based on what you have on your insurance policy, you know, evidence of coverage, et cetera. We have a team that one processes, those changes provides those certificates when they're needed, helps process the day-to-day things of those transactions that you're doing on the front end behind the scenes with the carrier, so that people like myself, the advisers can really interact more with their clients and do the consulting piece.

Fernando Angelucci (34:31): Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. So let's move back to say new investor, new real estate investors looking to get involved, just saw this podcast. What advice would you give them when they're looking to buy their first investment property or start their first project? Let's say maybe it's inside of a rental, It's a fix and flip property.

Greg Jones (34:57): Right. I would say as someone new that's getting into it, the, I think the most important thing you have to think about when it comes to insurance is partnering with the right broker, because a lot of people are generalists that'll say, sure, I write real estate. I also write restaurants and I write manufacturing and I'll write a trucking company and they're not ingrained into the industry. And there are, there are brokers that really specialize within an industry like myself, that's real estate. Right?

Fernando Angelucci (35:29): Right.

Greg Jones (35:30): As a new investor, there's a lot of education that comes with that first investment, that first project, even the first few. Right? And so being able to partner with someone that is part of the team with you, that can say, okay, based on what you're investing in, or the project that you're doing, these are all the things you want to consider. Right? You don't have to go with all of them, but at least you have the information and you can make an educated decision.

Fernando Angelucci (35:58): And then how about on the flip side, what advice would you give to somebody considering becoming a risk advisor or an insurance broker?

Greg Jones (36:07): I would say if you're going to become an insurance broker or an advisor. The most important thing I think you need to be able to do is specialize in an industry.

Fernando Angelucci (36:15): Okay.

Greg Jones (36:15): For the same purpose. Right? There's obviously a lot of change happening within the insurance industry, right? I mean, online rating systems are on the rise. I mean, think about your home and auto insurance. Right?

Fernando Angelucci (36:31): Right.

Greg Jones (36:32): You don't have to go through a broker to get home and auto insurance. You can go online, plug in your information, the quote will get spit right back out at you. It's turning it into very much of a commodity. Right? I think in the commercial space, there's still a lot of room to bring value to clients. Right? But the only way you bring value is if you can bring consulting and advice and you can't bring consulting and advice on 12 different industries, you have to really be able to understand how your client's business works and speak to that versus taking orders or reacting to what they're asking for when maybe what they're asking for isn't actually going to protect them the right way. And you want to be able to bring value. And that's the only way you can do it.

Fernando Angelucci (37:24): I always tell people, especially new investors for real estate investors, it's good to be a Jack of all trades and master of none. But then you surround yourself with investor or with advisors that are the opposite.

Fernando Angelucci (37:38): Exactly.

Fernando Angelucci (37:38): The advisors is a master of one thing, not a Jack of all trades.

Greg Jones (37:41): Right.

Fernando Angelucci (37:41): So, you know, I worked with you in the past. I know you, I know a lot of people that worked with you in the past, what can a real estate investor do to make themselves a good partner, a good client to you? So that is the interaction between the two is seamless. And you don't want to scream every time you see Fernando calling you on the phone.

Greg Jones (38:07):

Yeah. I would say communication is probably the biggest thing. Right? I was talking with a colleague about this a couple of years ago, and I was like, you can tell a difference between a client that views you as a vendor and a commodity. Versus a client that views you as an advisor and part of their team. Right? And the difference there is, they're bringing you into conversations about what the future looks like in advance. So I've got some clients that are really good at this, where we have quarterly meetings and we'll talk about this is what's in the pipeline. What do we need to be thinking about? Let's prepare for this in advance. They'll ask a lot of questions, and you particularly see this where if you've got an investor who's maybe changing their direction of their focus, right? So let's say I've talked to some groups recently where historically they've done a lot of work in the office and retail space.

Greg Jones (39:05): They want to launch a multifamily division. And so they'll say, okay, we're changing direction here. What do we need to be thinking about as we start looking at a different kind of investment versus what we've done in the past? With those kinds of conversations, the process is much smoother versus the I have a portfolio of office and retail and, Oh, by the way, I forgot to tell you, I'm closing at noon tomorrow on a 80 unit apartment building. I need you to get this added for me, which if there was no conversation on the front end, who knows if the carrier that you're with, you could even add that location to, or you have to go and get something from scratch and you're on a you're on a deadline to do it. So I would say the communication and just having open dialogue about what's going on within the company and asking questions and keeping that line of communication open is the best thing a client can do.

Fernando Angelucci (40:03): Yeah. I mean, that makes a lot of sense with almost any advise you work with. You've got to really make sure you're, you're communicating not only often, but well in advance of when you need things to be done by a certain deadline.

Greg Jones (40:20): Right.

Fernando Angelucci (40:20): So with that being said, how can, you know, how can people reach you and what should they know, or what should they prepare before trying to contact you or reaching out to you?

Greg Jones (40:34): So I can be reached my contact info I believe is on our website www.CrumHalstad.com. I also can be reached by phone, email. I don't know if you'll have that information up later, but that's typically the easiest way to get ahold of me phone and email. As far as what to have prepared, I mean, typically I like to start just by having a conversation with, what is it you're looking for? What do you have? What's the plan? One of the things that I've tried to do that's a little bit different with clients is not just looking at what your particular need is right now, but also like what's the next 12 months look like? Right. So I was a good example of this. I was talking with an investment group that so far all of their investments have been in Chicago. Right? But over the next 12 months, they're trying to start investing in multiple States. And so, having an overview conversation around what the plan is, is really helpful because you want to set a platform that a client can grow from. Right? So as far as what they have prepared, just have a conversation and then we can kind of direct from there, what information we need.

Fernando Angelucci (41:55): Yeah. That makes sense. Come prepared, that I know you like to get involved a little bit earlier in the process and what most investors will involve you in the process. Right?

Greg Jones (42:06): Correct.

Fernando Angelucci (42:06): How many let's say I got a closing on December 30th, when should I call you?

Greg Jones (42:13): I mean, I would say as far in advance as possible but.

Fernando Angelucci (42:18): Right as you to go into contract then?

Fernando Angelucci (42:19): Yeah right as you go into contract. So it really has to do with, it's not so much what our timeline is, really. It comes down to what the carrier's timeline is, right? Because when we get that phone call that says, you know, hey, I'm closing in four or five days, there are some carriers that could be really competitive in that space, but they can't turn it around that quickly. They, because they already have so many files on their desks that they're trying to work through. They're not going to jump on the last minute one that just came in and push everything else they've been working on to the side typically. So as much in advance as you can is great. That being said, there's always options. I mean, I've done it before where I get notification two days before we put something together, it doesn't allow us time to go out to all of the options. Right? But it still allows you to provide some, right?

Fernando Angelucci (43:14): Yeah.

Greg Jones (43:14): And then you talk at that point of, okay, so what's the strategy after we move forward with this, you know, do we try to remarket it down the road at next renewal? Start the process earlier, et cetera.

Fernando Angelucci (43:27): That makes sense. Alright Greg, I really appreciate you coming on. Thank you for giving us the scoop in on Property Insurance and Risk Advisers. Everyone that is watching, they'll have a link to your contact information below as well as the website there, if with whatever you'd like to provide.

Greg Jones (43:50): Awesome

Fernando Angelucci (43:51): And thanks again, everybody for tuning in to What's The Deal, the real estate podcast that gives you answers. If you have any questions or if you have certain topics you'd like us to cover, feel free to comment below, and we'll get back to you as soon as possible. And that is our Thanksgiving edition of What's The Deal. Hope everybody has a safe and happy holiday.

#real estate #real estate investing #the storage stud #storage stud #fernando angelucci #self storage #Greg Jones

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sublimeperfectionmoon · 3 years

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Reverse Mortgage – Benefit/Pros and Cons

For seniors who don't want to be responsible for monthly loan payments or can't qualify for a home equity loan or refinance due to limited cash flow or poor credit, a reverse mortgage is the only way to access home equity without selling their house.

A reverse mortgage loans California may resemble a home equity loan or line of credit. Like one of these loans, a reverse mortgage can give a lump sum or a line of credit that you can use as needed based on how much of your home you've paid down and the market worth of your home. You don't need an income or strong credit to qualify, and you won't have to make any loan payments while you live in the house as your primary residence, unlike a home equity loan or line of credit.

What choices do you have for using home equity to support your retirement if you don't qualify for any of these loans? You could sell and downsize, or you could sell your home to your children or grandchildren to keep it in the family, or you could rent it from them if you wish to stay in the house.

Pros and Cons

Pros

When you're 62 or older, and your home equity is your best asset, and you don't have another method to pay your essential living expenditures, a reverse mortgage can be a viable way to borrow cash. You can stay living in your house with a reverse mortgage as long as you pay your property taxes, upkeep, and insurance on time and don't need to move into a nursing home or assisted living facility for more than a year.

· The borrower is not required to make monthly payments against the principal portion of their loan.

· The money raised can cover living and healthcare costs, debt repayment, and other expenses.

· Borrowers may be able to use funds to assist them to enjoy their retirement.

· After the borrower dies, non-borrowing spouses who are not included on the mortgage can stay in the house.

· Borrowers facing foreclosure may be able to use a reverse mortgage to pay down their current mortgage, thereby preventing foreclosure.

Cons

Taking up a reverse mortgage, on the other hand, requires you to spend a considerable portion of the equity you've built up on interest and loan costs, which we'll go over in more detail below. It also implies you won't be able to pass your home down to your children or grandchildren. It may not be worth the price if a reverse mortgage does not provide a long-term answer to your financial troubles but merely a short-term one.

Another issue with reverse mortgages is that some borrowers outlive the loan proceeds. You might not have any money left when you picked up a payment plan that does not deliver lifetime earnings, such as a lump sum or term plan or take up and use a line of credit.

· The borrower is responsible for keeping the house in good repair and paying property taxes and homeowners insurance.

· A reverse mortgage requires you to borrow against your home's equity, which could be a valuable source of retirement funds.

· Fees and other closing charges can be expensive, reducing the amount of cash available.

#reverse mortgage loans California

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dockdaisy83 · 3 years

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Family Arbitration Ni.

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We are a developed, credible service and also charity collaborating with youngsters as well as family members for the past 75 years. It is easier on your kids-- when parents co-operate it aids them preserve vital family relationships. The mediator can also give you details about other solutions that give assistance and also support as well as the other alternatives you could have to resolve points. Household mediation is a successful, fast as well as low-priced method to deal with individual as well as hard disputes between parents as well as former partners. Remember, you only pay the per hour rate for arbitration until you prepare to choose a legal plan that is best fit to you, on reaching your arrangement. As soon as you have gotten to an arrangement, we can exercise one of the most economical legal plan for you based on the variety of arbitration sessions you have used. And also don't neglect we are the very best reviewed family members mediation company in England & Wales.

Looking For Legal Suggestions?

We understand that every family is special which is why we carefully customize our suggestions to fit specific families' needs and strive to safeguard the best outcome for you. As we stated above, judges may refuse to hear some litigation if you can't show that you contend the very least thought about arbitration before going down that route. Able to provide you and your ex-spouse extra control over just how your problems are fixed. Your conciliator will certainly assist you to find an option that works for both of you.

To get invites to our events, as well as information and short articles on legal problems and also market advancements that are of passion to you, please register to Newsroom. " I found mediation to be a great and really handy all rounded solution."

In any case, if you apply to the court to hear your situation, the court is likely to refuse to hear it unless you have at the very least thought about arbitration initially. Dividing from your spouse or long-term partner can be a difficult and tough time in anyone's life. With a lot unpredictability bordering your lives, as well as emotions usually running high up on both sides, it can become impossible to sit down as well as review important issues with each various other. Our specially experienced mediators have the ability to give neutral support across the nation, utilizing remote systems. Our team members all have experience of helping people at challenging times in their lives and also we are dedicated to delivering to you a specialist and also confidential service. There might be other solutions or info you may find practical. This would be a safe, respectful as well as appropriate procedure for you as well as your family members.

Your moderator will certainly aid you to overcome each parents schedule, continuing to be unbiased and also working with both parents to enable both to contribute and also locate compromise. If you go to the point of splitting up, or you are currently divided or separated, arbitration may help you concentrate on the future. Details as well as Analysis Fulfilling is typically needed before court, where it is secure to happen. Where a minimum of one party is eligible, legal help will certainly cover the costs of both events to participate in the MIAM. The person making the application to court should organize and go to the MIAM, which can happen independently or collectively with the various other celebration. If you wish to talk through your choices or discuss the arbitration procedure, then offer us a telephone call. on youngsters of moms and dads in dispute, as well as the alleviation that children experience when moms and dads begin to collaborate.

Arbitration Often Tends To Be More Affordable Than Court Procedures.

It has moved us right into a frame of mind to attempt to be co-operative - the children have actually been put first and arbitration assisted with that." It helped us in the direction of getting to arrangements on the large decisions, seeing to it that the needs of the children were thought about. it helped to take the heat out of the situation without us tearing each various other apart as well as discover a method get through it with the minimum of distress. Information Meetings At an Arbitration Info as well as Evaluation Fulfilling, the arbitrator will listen to you and also aid you to make an enlightened option regarding the very best way ahead. The moderator can also provide you information and signpost you to any kind of various other services that might be able to assist. We offer other encouraging services such as therapy as well as moms and dad support groups including the CAFCASS separated parents information program.

We have a seasoned group of professional as well as Accredited Attorney Mediators who have competence in all issues associating with the resolution of household disagreements making use of a procedure of Family members Mediation. We have years experience providing arbitration for dividing pairs to assist make these sensible decisions. Probably at this phase you are not exactly sure if the separation will certainly be short-term or irreversible. Although mediation is not a substitute for pair coaching, it does provide you an opportunity to interact constructively in a safe setting as well as this by itself can be healing as well as aid you to decide the means forward. Our Household Mediators learn as well as accredited by the Household Mediators Association and/or Resolution as well as are skilled at aiding clients interact effectively to settle all problems in disagreement. Normally matters reviewed in mediation are confidential which allow customers to go over issues easily and honestly. Cheltenham Arbitration Servicesspecialise in aiding you fix disagreements involving all kinds of family connections and also problems.

Durham Region Council's Families Information Solution does not promote nor support the services advertised on this website. Anybody looking for to use/access such solutions does so at their very own risk as well as might make all ideal enquiries about physical fitness for objective and also viability to meet their needs. Because of the ongoing coronavirus circumstance not all solutions and activities provided on this internet site will be running as typical. Anybody that wishes to make a court application about a household matter needs to participate in a MIAM prior to they can make an application to court unless details circumstances imply that you are exempt from requiring to do so. Concern for your kids can bring you closer together as co-parents-- or relocate you better apart. " Louisa did a big quantity for me, particularly with regard to how I communicated with my ex-wife and also seeing the bigger image. She made a fantastic difference to my connection with our kids."

What should you not say during mediation?

Do not make statements that are likely to leave the other side feeling insulted without fully considering the costs and benefits. “Speaking the truth”/Allocating blame: While there can be a role for blame in mediation, counsel must realize that choosing blame usually comes at the cost of an otherwise better deal.

Admin will supply directions and also information on just how this will be done as well as this website will be upgraded to offer the very same. The opportunity to go after reasonable, practical and equally acceptable agreements without the requirement to visit court. Unbiased, sensible aid for separating/divorcing couples and family members with or without children. In mediation we will work with you to assist you make solutions that are based on your's and also your household's scenarios as well as demands. At Evolve Family Arbitration we place you and also your kids at the centre of what we do.

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jovialcoffeesuit · 3 years

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Questions and Replies on Assisted Living

At the point when I meet with families who are in time delicate circumstances comparative with extra consideration for their folks or another cherished one, there are numerous inquiries they pose concerning assisted living. Most families don't plan well when their friends and family need more help at home, assisted living or in any event, nursing homes. Following are only a portion of the inquiries and answers.

Q - I'm taking a gander at assisted living for my folks, and somebody referenced to me I should take a gander at a Board and Care. What precisely is this?

A - Board and Care is the name the Division of Social Administrations for the Territory of California provided for more modest Private Consideration Offices for the Old (RCFE's). These are authorized assisted living homes that are more modest than the bigger offices you may see on fundamental streets, generally obliging around 6 inhabitants. Occupants remaining at this kind of care home may require care with different exercises of day by day living (preparing, washing, dressing, cooking, drug the board, and so on)

Q - Is Assisted Living unique in relation to Retirement Homes?

A - However there are numerous similitudes, there is a distinction. "Retirement Homes" is a conventional term generally alluding to autonomous or senior networks whose occupants are in any event 55-60 years old and are in acceptable by and large wellbeing. Assisted living, then again, may have a large number of similar exercises however have guardians on staff day in and day out to help occupants with different consideration needs. There are numerous choices accessible in assisted living including a reach from little, grown-up family homes to offices with different degrees of care https://epiccontract.org/.

Q - My dad, who is a veteran, ought to be in assisted living, however it may not be reasonable. Simultaneously, his resources have all the earmarks of being excessively incredible for Medi-Cal qualification. This doesn't appear to be reasonable. What ideas do you have?

A - Above all else, the way that your dad was a veteran during the hour of battle, there could possibly be critical advantages to him. Taking everything into account, the misinterpretation is you need to go through the entirety of your cash to qualify. This isn't in every case valid. You might have the option to secure your resources while fitting the bill for both Medi-Cal and Veteran's Guide and Participation. Experts in Medi-Cal arranging and lawyers acquainted with this can be certainly worth their charges.

Q - My mom needs to one or the other get outside help with her home or potentially assisted living. Does Federal medical insurance cover any of this?

A - Government medical care pays for talented consideration and home wellbeing associates related to gifted consideration. There are limitations and care is performed by an authorized talented consideration proficient for example Medical attendant, Physical/Word related Specialists, and so on Federal medical care doesn't pay for non-clinical home consideration or assisted living which can incorporates Buddy Care (Cooking, Cleaning, Shopping, Tasks), Individual Consideration (Washing, Dressing, Toileting, Moving) and medicine the board (assisted living as it were). In any case, there are different choices for paying.

Q - I'm starting to investigate a few areas for my mom, and I've been advised to do explore and pose a great deal of inquiries. Would you be able to give some info?

A - Assisted Living and Private Consideration Homes (Board and Care) are totally authorized by the Territory of California. It's essential to talk and meet with different individuals including the individuals who run the area, just as parental figures and occupants. Likewise, it's basic to audit the State's office assessment reports to check whether there have been any references given against the area, the seriousness of those references and how they were helped. The inquiries that should be posed are excessively various for this article, yet if it's not too much trouble, call our office, and we would be glad to give you direction in every one of these spaces.

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