Mark Kofalt, Author at Premier Insurance Services

The 10 Most Expensive Prescription Drugs

Post author:Mark Kofalt
Post published:March 17, 2021
Post category:Personal/Family Senior Care

Some people spend thousands of dollars a year on medications, and thanks to their insurance they may not have to pay full price for the pharmaceuticals their doctors prescribe. But there is a growing body of drugs that are breaking the bank for insurers and the people who need them. New, innovative medicines that drug companies make using cutting-edge technology and science, can come with hefty price tags. GoodRx.com, a website that provides coupons for purchasing prescription drugs, has published a list of the 10 most expensive drugs in the U.S. The list includes those that are available at pharmacies…

Don’t Make These Mistakes When Posting OSHA Form 300A

Post author:Mark Kofalt
Post published:March 15, 2021
Post category:Business

Employers with 10 or more employees must post their completed OSHA Form 300A by Feb. 1 and keep it posted in their workplace until April 30. The form must be posted where the company usually posts other employee notices, like minimum wage and workplace safety notices. Form 300A summarizes the total number of fatalities, missed workdays, job transfers or restrictions, and injuries and illnesses as recorded on Form 300. The penalty for OSHA posting violations is $13,260. The Summary (Form 300A) requires the following information from the Form 300 Log: The total number of non-first-aid occupational injury and illness cases.…

CMS Approves Medicare Coverage of ‘Breakthrough’ Medical Devices

Post author:Mark Kofalt
Post published:March 10, 2021
Post category:Personal/Family Senior Care

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has issued new rules that require Medicare to cover medical devices that the Food and Drug Administration designates as "breakthrough" technology. The rule paves the way for giving Medicare recipients access to the latest technologies four years after they receive market approval by the FDA. The move should greatly speed up the time by which these new devices are covered by Medicare, the approval process of which can be extremely slow. Under the final rule, the CMS will use the data for these devices during the four years after the FDA approves them,…

Employment-Related Lawsuits Explode during Pandemic

Post author:Mark Kofalt
Post published:March 8, 2021
Post category:Business

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, so does the number of workplace-related lawsuits filed by workers across the country against their employers. The pandemic laid the groundwork for new local, state and federal laws and regulations governing a number of workplace issues like workplace safety, family and medical leave and remote work. And it created new challenges for employers who were forced to close operations, lay off and furlough workers and organize new work arrangements. The surge resulted in a record number of COVID-19-related class-action lawsuits, the majority of them concerning disputes over: (1) Alleged failure to provide a safe working…

Signs Your Child May Need More Support During Pandemic

Post author:Mark Kofalt
Post published:March 3, 2021
Post category:Personal/Family

While the COVID-19 pandemic has been stressful for most of us, children and teens often have an especially difficult time dealing with the lack of activities and social interaction if they are distance learning. Depression has skyrocketed during the pandemic as a result of isolation, lost jobs and/or having family members that have fallen ill or died from coronavirus. Also, mental health visits are at an all-time high, even if many people are seeing counselors remotely by video conferencing. The ongoing stress, fear, grief and uncertainty created by the pandemic can wear anyone down, but children and teens may have…

Workplace Sexual Harassment Moves Online During Pandemic

Post author:Mark Kofalt
Post published:March 1, 2021
Post category:Business

With so many people working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic, logic would dictate that instances of workplace sexual harassment would have plummeted since people are not in the office or any other facility together. Logic would be wrong. Sexual harassment of employees by other employees or superiors has moved online, according to recent reports. In fact, since the pandemic has started, the nonprofit Stop Street Harassment found that there has been a 20% increase in sexual harassment complaints among American workers. The increase is not surprising considering an earlier study by Stop Street in 2018, which found that 41%…

Medical Marijuana, Recreational Pot Laws and Driving

Post author:Mark Kofalt
Post published:February 24, 2021
Post category:Personal/Family

With more states moving to legalize marijuana through ballot measures, and even more having medicinal marijuana laws on the books, many people may be confused about the legality of driving after using pot. While all states have laws prohibiting driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, many people who live in states with medicinal marijuana laws think it's okay to get behind the wheel after using the substance. But the truth is that no state that has legalized recreational marijuana use or medical marijuana permits people to drive under the influence. Just as alcohol is legal but driving drunk…

Homeowner’s Five Coverages You May Not Know You Need

Post author:Mark Kofalt
Post published:February 17, 2021
Post category:Personal/Family

When you own a home, you may have extenuating circumstances and/or own property that your insurance may not cover. There are a number of extra coverage options you can add on to your policy, which are known as endorsements. They are essentially riders that you purchase separately but tack on to your homeowner's coverage as a policy extension. In fact, there may be risks in your home that you never thought of and that won't be covered by your homeowner's policy. Here are five endorsements that you should be aware of, according to the insurance trade publication National Underwriter. 'Additional…