Newsletter March 2024
GLAUCOMA: FIND OUT IF YOU ARE
AT RISK
Did you know that about half of all people with glaucoma don't even know they have it? If
you get a glaucoma test and start treatment early, you may protect your eyes from
serious vision loss.
Medicare covers a glaucoma screening once every 12 months if you're at high risk for
developing glaucoma.
Glaucoma is a group of diseases that damage the eye's optic nerve and can result in vision
loss and even blindness. Some forms of glaucoma don't have any symptoms, so you
may have the disease even if you don't have any trouble seeing or feel any pain.
You're considered at high risk for developing glaucoma if one or more of the following is
true:
* You have diabetes
* You have a family history of glaucoma
* You're African American and age 50 or older
* You're Hispanic and age 65 or older
If you think you may be at high risk, talk with your doctor to make sure you're up to date on
your glaucoma screening.
?
FIND THE RIGHT DOCTOR FOR YOU
Are you looking for a doctor — or specialist — and not sure where to
start? Medicare.gov makes it quick and easy to find and compare doctors and other
providers in your area.
Here's how:
1. Visit Medicare.gov/care-compare. Select "Doctors & clinicians," and enter your
location. You can also search by specialty, like general practice or internal
medicine.
2. Review details about the doctors you're interested in, like their contact
information, practice locations, hospital affiliation, or if they offer telehealth
services.
3. You can also select the "Compare" button for a side-by-side comparison of up
to 3 different doctors.
Once you're ready to schedule a visit with a new doctor, be sure to call ahead to verify
general information, like office location, if they're accepting new patients with Medicare,
and if you need a referral.
What’s happening to global commercial insurance rates?
Marsh publishes latest edition of Global Insurance Market Index
Market Index, the broking giant’s proprietary measure of global commercial
insurance rate change at renewal.
According to Marsh, global commercial insurance rates increased by 2% in the
fourth quarter of 2023. In Q3, the change was a 3% increase.
“Rates continued to be relatively consistent across almost all regions in Q4,”
Marsh noted. “As with Q3 and Q2, this was largely driven by a continuation of the
trend for pricing decreases in financial and professional lines and a small
decrease for rates in the cyber insurance market.
“Moderating rate increases for property risks also contributed to the quarter’s
results, with increased competition offsetting the impact of strong demand and
ongoing losses.
“On average, rates in Q4 were flat in the UK, Canada, Asia, and Pacific. Rates
increased in the US by 3%; in Europe by 4%; in India, Middle East & Africa by
4%; and in Latin America and the Caribbean by 8%.”
On average, global property insurance rates rose by 6% in the fourth quarter;
casualty insurance rates were up 3%; rates in financial and professional lines saw
a 6% decline; and cyber insurance rates fell by 3%.
“At a time of much global economic uncertainty, clients will welcome the
increased stability in insurance rates – especially for property exposures – and
increased competition from insurers for well-managed risks,” Pat Donnelly,
president of specialty and global placement at Marsh, said in an emailed release.
“With 2024 set to be a year of significant geopolitical and economic challenges,
we are working closely with clients to develop solutions that will enable them to
become more resilient to global events and to take advantage of improving
market conditions.”
?
Illinois No. 2 in the nation for gas taxes
New rankings show Illinois motorists pay the second-highest gas taxes in the nation, according
to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Only Californians – by less than two cents – pay higher gas taxes than Illinoisans when you add
up federal, state and local gas taxes.
At 66.5 cents per gallon, Illinois motorists can expect to pay $325 a year in state gas taxes alone
based on American Petroleum Institute gas usage estimates. If someone were to switch to an
electric vehicle, that comes with a $100 annual fee.
Illinois has had automatic annual gas tax hikes since 2019 when Gov. J.B. Pritzker and state
lawmakers doubled it and built in automatic increases tied to inflation, with the next one
coming July 1.
The state’s gas taxes consists of multiple layers: the state motor fuel excise tax, a prepaid sales tax
and fees. That’s without the federal tax and local taxes added by municipalities: motorists in Cook
County pay an added motor fuel tax and sales tax.
Illinois is one of the few states to charge a sales tax on gasoline, adding it after the motor fuel tax
is applied. That means Illinois drivers get taxed on the taxes they pay for gas.
Middle- and lower-income families give up a greater share of their household budgets to gasoline, a
cost that is hard to avoid and still get to work or transport children. Illinois drivers who can fill
up out of state, or at least out of Chicago and Cook County, will see savings.
?
KEEP YOUR HEART HEALTHY
Show your heart some love! Talk with your doctor to see if you need cardiovascular
disease screenings or other diagnostic lab tests. Medicare Part B covers these tests if
your doctor or other healthcare provider orders them.
As you may know, living a healthy lifestyle can help keep your blood pressure,
cholesterol, and blood sugar levels normal — and lower your risk for heart disease and
heart attack.
If you're not sure you're at risk, now's a good time to talk with your doctor. Learn more
about how to prevent heart disease at CDC.gov.
Cardiovascular disease screenings
Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance)
covers cardiovascular screening blood tests once every 5 years.
Your costs in Original Medicare
You pay nothing for the tests if your doctor or other health care provider accepts
assignment
What it is
These screenings include blood tests for cholesterol, lipid, and triglyceride levels that help
detect conditions that may lead to a heart attack or stroke.
?
Tax refunds inch up 2% over this time last year
The average refund reaches $3,207 and should continue growing as more returns are
filed.
Tax refunds finally increased after two weeks of markedly smaller refunds compared to
the same time a year ago, according to the latest data from the Internal Revenue
Service (IRS).
Tax refunds are 2% larger than this time last year, but the number of taxpayers filing
returns has decreased.
The average refund amount was $3,207 as of Feb. 16, up from $3,140 in the same
period last year, the IRS reported. That’s based on nearly 21 million refunds the agency
has distributed so far versus nearly 28 million refunds disbursed this time last year, a
nearly 25% decrease.
The 2% increase in the average refund is in spite of the fact that the number of returns
processed is 6% less than this time last year, based on the weekly filing statistics.
The average amount likely will change as more returns are processed, especially those
with the earned income tax credit (EITC), which will be processed this week. The IRS
estimates most EITC filers will see their refunds by Feb. 27.
Refunds that include the earned income tax credit (EITC) and the additional child tax
credit (ACTC) are delayed by law until mid-February.
If you’re unsure when you will receive your tax refund, check out our tax refund
calendar.
The number of taxpayers impacted by storms and other natural disasters may add to
the low numbers of returns received and processed.
This week, the IRS added taxpayers in San Diego to the growing list of those allowed
an extension to file due to storms. Taxpayers in a Federal Emergency Management
Agency-declared disaster relief zone are eligible for the extended deadline.
To date, the IRS has extended the filing deadline to June 17 for taxpayers in San
Diego, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maine, West Virginia, and Michigan affected by
storms, tornadoes, and flooding.
?
To contact us: go to www.healthcareil.com or Call (800) 739-4700
www.healthcareil.com Page | 1
GLAUCOMA: FIND OUT IF YOU ARE
AT RISK
Did you know that about half of all people with glaucoma don't even know they have it? If
you get a glaucoma test and start treatment early, you may protect your eyes from
serious vision loss.
Medicare covers a glaucoma screening once every 12 months if you're at high risk for
developing glaucoma.
Glaucoma is a group of diseases that damage the eye's optic nerve and can result in vision
loss and even blindness. Some forms of glaucoma don't have any symptoms, so you
may have the disease even if you don't have any trouble seeing or feel any pain.
You're considered at high risk for developing glaucoma if one or more of the following is
true:
* You have diabetes
* You have a family history of glaucoma
* You're African American and age 50 or older
* You're Hispanic and age 65 or older
If you think you may be at high risk, talk with your doctor to make sure you're up to date on
your glaucoma screening.
?
FIND THE RIGHT DOCTOR FOR YOU
Are you looking for a doctor — or specialist — and not sure where to
start? Medicare.gov makes it quick and easy to find and compare doctors and other
providers in your area.
Here's how:
1. Visit Medicare.gov/care-compare. Select "Doctors & clinicians," and enter your
location. You can also search by specialty, like general practice or internal
medicine.
2. Review details about the doctors you're interested in, like their contact
information, practice locations, hospital affiliation, or if they offer telehealth
services.
3. You can also select the "Compare" button for a side-by-side comparison of up
to 3 different doctors.
Once you're ready to schedule a visit with a new doctor, be sure to call ahead to verify
general information, like office location, if they're accepting new patients with Medicare,
and if you need a referral.
What’s happening to global commercial insurance rates?
Marsh publishes latest edition of Global Insurance Market Index
Market Index, the broking giant’s proprietary measure of global commercial
insurance rate change at renewal.
According to Marsh, global commercial insurance rates increased by 2% in the
fourth quarter of 2023. In Q3, the change was a 3% increase.
“Rates continued to be relatively consistent across almost all regions in Q4,”
Marsh noted. “As with Q3 and Q2, this was largely driven by a continuation of the
trend for pricing decreases in financial and professional lines and a small
decrease for rates in the cyber insurance market.
“Moderating rate increases for property risks also contributed to the quarter’s
results, with increased competition offsetting the impact of strong demand and
ongoing losses.
“On average, rates in Q4 were flat in the UK, Canada, Asia, and Pacific. Rates
increased in the US by 3%; in Europe by 4%; in India, Middle East & Africa by
4%; and in Latin America and the Caribbean by 8%.”
On average, global property insurance rates rose by 6% in the fourth quarter;
casualty insurance rates were up 3%; rates in financial and professional lines saw
a 6% decline; and cyber insurance rates fell by 3%.
“At a time of much global economic uncertainty, clients will welcome the
increased stability in insurance rates – especially for property exposures – and
increased competition from insurers for well-managed risks,” Pat Donnelly,
president of specialty and global placement at Marsh, said in an emailed release.
“With 2024 set to be a year of significant geopolitical and economic challenges,
we are working closely with clients to develop solutions that will enable them to
become more resilient to global events and to take advantage of improving
market conditions.”
?
Illinois No. 2 in the nation for gas taxes
New rankings show Illinois motorists pay the second-highest gas taxes in the nation, according
to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Only Californians – by less than two cents – pay higher gas taxes than Illinoisans when you add
up federal, state and local gas taxes.
At 66.5 cents per gallon, Illinois motorists can expect to pay $325 a year in state gas taxes alone
based on American Petroleum Institute gas usage estimates. If someone were to switch to an
electric vehicle, that comes with a $100 annual fee.
Illinois has had automatic annual gas tax hikes since 2019 when Gov. J.B. Pritzker and state
lawmakers doubled it and built in automatic increases tied to inflation, with the next one
coming July 1.
The state’s gas taxes consists of multiple layers: the state motor fuel excise tax, a prepaid sales tax
and fees. That’s without the federal tax and local taxes added by municipalities: motorists in Cook
County pay an added motor fuel tax and sales tax.
Illinois is one of the few states to charge a sales tax on gasoline, adding it after the motor fuel tax
is applied. That means Illinois drivers get taxed on the taxes they pay for gas.
Middle- and lower-income families give up a greater share of their household budgets to gasoline, a
cost that is hard to avoid and still get to work or transport children. Illinois drivers who can fill
up out of state, or at least out of Chicago and Cook County, will see savings.
?
KEEP YOUR HEART HEALTHY
Show your heart some love! Talk with your doctor to see if you need cardiovascular
disease screenings or other diagnostic lab tests. Medicare Part B covers these tests if
your doctor or other healthcare provider orders them.
As you may know, living a healthy lifestyle can help keep your blood pressure,
cholesterol, and blood sugar levels normal — and lower your risk for heart disease and
heart attack.
If you're not sure you're at risk, now's a good time to talk with your doctor. Learn more
about how to prevent heart disease at CDC.gov.
Cardiovascular disease screenings
Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance)
covers cardiovascular screening blood tests once every 5 years.
Your costs in Original Medicare
You pay nothing for the tests if your doctor or other health care provider accepts
assignment
What it is
These screenings include blood tests for cholesterol, lipid, and triglyceride levels that help
detect conditions that may lead to a heart attack or stroke.
?
Tax refunds inch up 2% over this time last year
The average refund reaches $3,207 and should continue growing as more returns are
filed.
Tax refunds finally increased after two weeks of markedly smaller refunds compared to
the same time a year ago, according to the latest data from the Internal Revenue
Service (IRS).
Tax refunds are 2% larger than this time last year, but the number of taxpayers filing
returns has decreased.
The average refund amount was $3,207 as of Feb. 16, up from $3,140 in the same
period last year, the IRS reported. That’s based on nearly 21 million refunds the agency
has distributed so far versus nearly 28 million refunds disbursed this time last year, a
nearly 25% decrease.
The 2% increase in the average refund is in spite of the fact that the number of returns
processed is 6% less than this time last year, based on the weekly filing statistics.
The average amount likely will change as more returns are processed, especially those
with the earned income tax credit (EITC), which will be processed this week. The IRS
estimates most EITC filers will see their refunds by Feb. 27.
Refunds that include the earned income tax credit (EITC) and the additional child tax
credit (ACTC) are delayed by law until mid-February.
If you’re unsure when you will receive your tax refund, check out our tax refund
calendar.
The number of taxpayers impacted by storms and other natural disasters may add to
the low numbers of returns received and processed.
This week, the IRS added taxpayers in San Diego to the growing list of those allowed
an extension to file due to storms. Taxpayers in a Federal Emergency Management
Agency-declared disaster relief zone are eligible for the extended deadline.
To date, the IRS has extended the filing deadline to June 17 for taxpayers in San
Diego, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maine, West Virginia, and Michigan affected by
storms, tornadoes, and flooding.
?
To contact us: go to www.healthcareil.com or Call (800) 739-4700
www.healthcareil.com Page | 1
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