MassMutual $3 Billion Free Life Insurance Program Now Available Nationwide for Frontline Healthcare Workers Battling COVID-19

Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) today announced the nationwide expansion of MassMutualHealthBridge, which provides free term life insurance to frontline healthcare workers who directly interact with patients fighting the virus. Previously, HealthBridge was available in MassMutual’s home states as well as those hardest hit by the pandemic. Now it will reach these critical individuals coast to coast.

MassMutual’s HealthBridge program offers free, 3-year term life policies of up to $25,000 for eligible healthcare workers. Employees and qualifying volunteers of healthcare or emergency medical service providers who are testing, treating or evaluating patients for COVID-19 can apply now for these free policies. This includes those who have occupational exposure to the virus and work at licensed hospitals, urgent care centers, emergency medical service providers, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, inpatient hospice and cancer facilities, eligible Federally Qualified Health Centers, temporary COVID treatment facilities and more.

“With a number of states reporting a surge in new cases and hospitalizations, this means that more people across the country are risking their own health and safety as they provide care and treatment to others,” said Roger Crandall, Chairman, President and CEO, MassMutual. “We are pleased to expand our HealthBridge program to all eligible healthcare workers and volunteers in the United States, providing them with protection and peace of mind as they continue to put the well-being of others before their own.”


Doug Myrick | Insurance Policy Centres LLC | 305.941.3684 | www.dougmyrick.com

In-Depth Guide to Minimize Buffering Issues

Waiting for your favorite TV show or movie to finish buffering isn’t a nice experience, especially after a long day when all you want to do is to enjoy the movie in total peace of mind.

Your Internet speed and various devices play a role, but there are other factors to consider if the content takes too long to load.

That’s what we’ll try to show you today - How you can increase your Internet Speed and fix Buffering problems.

There are multiple ways to solve these issues, but guess what? 

All the possible options to get rid of buffering issues are in just one super detailed article (linked below).

We dare you to find a similar article anywhere on the Internet, but we are sure that they aren’t even close to this one!

Get your super guide for free and leave buffering issues behind you now!

Fix Buffering on the Firestick Forever: The Ultimate Guide

8 benefits employers should zero in on during the COVID-19 pandemic

As the coronavirus pandemic changes workplaces all over the country, employees find themselves stressed out about their new reality, questioning their health coverage, financial security, job security and much more.

As a result, smart employers are reevaluating policies and offerings, putting a spotlight on employee benefits in a way that is more needed than ever, experts say.

“What we are finding is that employers are looking at their benefits packages to ensure they know everything offered to employees in detail, so that they are ready to answer the influx of questions employees are having,” says Doug Myrick, founder and Managing Member of Insurance Policy Centres LLC, a Florida insurance and employee benefits brokerage firm.

“Employers need to be assessing their short-term disability, paid-time off policies, layoff provisions and medical coverage,” he says. “More than anything, right now employers are making sure that their employees are safe and healthy.”

Perks that are already part of an employers’ benefits package should be actively communicated to employees now to address their concerns. Others can be expanded or added in the wake of the country’s crisis.

Here are 8 benefits employers should zero in on in wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

1. Healthcare benefits
2. Paid sick leave benefits
3. Telemedicine benefits
4. Remote work benefits
5. Mental health benefits
6. Employee bonuses
7. Childcare assistance
8. Financial wellness benefits

Doug Myrick | Insurance Policy Centres LLC | 305.941.3684 | www.dougmyrick.com

Post COVID World 🤩

Are you as tired of hearing “what an unprecedented time we’re living in”? Yeah -- we get it, poopy diaper news media! 

I’m not a believer in living in poopy diapers or stinky toilets. One turd in the punchbowl and everyone gets sick, right?

I’m ready to focus on all of the good that’s come out of the last few months, how about you?!

Doug Myrick | Insurance Policy Centres LLC | 305.941.3684 | www.dougmyrick.com

Schedule Your Family Financial Meeting

The goal of a family financial meeting is to review and communicate goals, priorities and intentions. Here are the four principles for a successful family financial meeting.

1. Include all family members. It’s important to involve all members of the family as they are all stakeholders in your financial life. Including all of your family members allows everyone to communicate about all areas including goals such as college savings, cash flow, insurance, investment strategy and final wishes. This also helps get buy-in from everyone which can reduce resentment. Family financial planning is a great way for kids to become financially literate. While young children may not able to participate in all areas, they can always learn and contribute when they are comfortable. Involving your children in cash flow discussions will help them understand why there may not be a trip to Disney World every year and will ultimately help them manage their own cash flow when they are adults. College planning is an excellent topic for teenagers (and younger children) to be involved in. If your child will need student loans for which they will be responsible, they should have a say in that. Knowing what their potential debt load will be and how that will impact their future cash flow may help them decide on what college to attend.
2. Prioritize goals. Families can start on prioritizing these goals by treating it like a business plan. Essentially running a family’s finances is running a small business. First, you have to assess your current situation. This includes organizing and documenting all of your assets and liabilities. Going through the organization process can help you create a cash flow statement (budget), net worth statement and a retirement tracker. Some priorities may take precedence as they have a deadline (examples: paying your mortgage or renewing your health insurance), while others allow you more time such as adjusting your retirement savings. Start off with what needs to be done now.
3. Review cash flow. It's important that everyone has the opportunity to communicate what their priorities, goals and objectives are. Once those are all out on the table, a good next step is to take a look at fixed expenses – those that happen no matter what such as mortgage payments, food, clothing, utilities, insurance premiums and so forth. Be sure to include expenses that are needed to fund a specific goal such as retirement savings and college saving. Assess your household’s total income and how that compares to the “no matter what” expenses. You have two choices, create more income or reduce expenses. If income is fixed and you know what your necessary expenses are, you can start to add up optional expenses such as vacations, new car and so forth. If the whole family is aware of what is available for these discretionary uses, and that funds are limited, it can save lot of back and forth and/or hard feelings.
4. Plan for ongoing reviews. Your family financial plan should be reviewed on a regular basis. Flexibility is key as the only thing certain about life is change. Adjustments can be made as needed. For example, you may want to have a financial meeting with your spouse prior to an employer’s open enrollment period. 

It’s also important for parents and adult children to have family financial meetings to discuss the transition of someone “stepping in” to a parent’s financial life.

Doug Myrick | Insurance Policy Centres LLC | 305.941.3684 | www.dougmyrick.com

Annuity Awareness Month

June is Annuity Awareness month. The changes we have seen in our country over the past 3 months definitely brings a new meaning to this month. Our clients have experienced financial loss, uncertainty, anxiety over their small businesses, and a new degree of worry that many of us have not experienced in the past. We spoke with our clients over the past few months, listened to them, and helped them navigate through these murky roads.  

Retirement plans were greatly impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic. Of those in the 45-to-64 age group that have reviewed their investment performance, 59% reported retirement losses as of the end of March 2020¹.(according to Moneyrates.com recent survey) 

Now is the time to take the next step in securing your retirement. Educating our customers on the many benefits of a Fixed Index Annuity can help them plan for their future. Whether you are looking for a reprieve from market volatility, protection of premium, upside potential, or guaranteed lifetime income, a Fixed Index Annuity can be a good solution.

Doug Myrick | Insurance Policy Centres LLC | 305.941.3684 | www.dougmyrick.com

Should you get a degree or certificate now?

Have you wondered if you should go back to school now that you are unemployed or your career is stalled? Would that added education, in the form of a degree or certificate, give you the boost your career needs? Before you click on that online education registration and sign up, here are 6 criteria you should use to evaluate to see if it’s the right move for you. Here are some questions to ask yourself or next steps you can take: (1) Ask yourself, “is the degree/certificate required to advance in my profession?” Look at leaders in your field...do you see almost everyone in a leadership position with the advanced education you are considering? Or do you think you need it to advance without the external proof? (2) Go and speak to 5-10 graduates minimum from the program you are considering. Do they think it was worth it? What did they do to capitalize on the certificate/degree that wouldn’t have happened without it? Did an increase in salary or pivot in direction justify the investment in education? (3) Is the program going to put you in debt? And how fast can you recoup that investment leveraging the additional credential? (4) Are you looking at a reputable quality program or a “checked-the-box” program? A “checked-the-box” program typically isn’t a quality program but when obtained, you get to say you have a degree or certificate...but it doesn’t carry weight or respect—just a big price tag and/or debt. (5) Does the program have a strong alumni network that takes care of its graduates? Sometimes you are simply buying a network when you sign up for advanced schooling...and that’s okay, too, if you can recoup your investment through expanded opportunities. But the key is to research it ahead of time and be sure that is the experience of its graduates. (6) Are you doing this to cater to your insecurity and/or to avoid what you should really be doing? This is the end-all-be-all question, in my opinion. If you are picking a mediocre program that you are going into debt over that isn’t going to necessarily boost your career standing but your ego will be able to say “I have an advanced degree or certificate,” then you have to wonder if your time and/or money will be better spent elsewhere? And ask yourself, honestly, are you trying to appease your ego or do something worthwhile for your career advancement? If you determine that your program is a quality program with a defined list of benefits validated by graduates of the program who saw an ROI, then go for it! If you realized through the evaluation above, that you may have dodged a bullet concluding that you were looking at a credential for the wrong reasons, then the key is to learn next what you should be doing to get to the next level. Developing your network? Learning management skills? Perfecting your presentation and writing skills? Finding a mentor? So, now with this new information, does that change anything? Let me know if this helped relieve some pressure. Be well, Doug Myrick | Insurance Policy Centres LLC | 305.941.3684 | www.dougmyrick.com

How Can Telemedicine Support You & Your Family?

We've partnered with MyTelemedicine a non-insurance provider, to help you find safe and affordable options for your healthcare. Understand how telemedicine can support your family and lifestyle with 24/7/365 doctor visits within minutes through an app, online or by phone. On average, families can reduce healthcare costs by over $1,100/year.

• Complement existing coverage or take advantage of benefits if you are uninsured
• Medical consults cost $0 with access to board-certified physicians from your home
• Diagnose illnesses, recommend treatments & get prescriptions by phone or video
• Extra discounts on prescriptions, labs, supplies, and services
• $29.95 exclusive monthly rate, covers all household residents
• No contract, cancel at anytime

Learn more

Up to $250B of US health spending could become virtual

With more patients and providers being exposed to telehealth and virtual care, a report published Friday by McKinsey predicts that as much as $250 billion of current U.S. healthcare spending could theoretically be virtualized.

The key change has been the often-publicized surge of telehealth adoption accompanying the COVID-19 public health emergency.

Citing a handful of recent consumer and physician surveys conducted by the firm, the report's authors highlight a jump from 11% of U.S. consumers reporting use of these technologies in 2019 to 76% now saying they were moderately or highly likely to use telehealth going forward. Further, provider survey respondents said they are now conducting 50 to 175 times the number of telehealth visits than they did prior to COVID-19, with 57% noting that they now view telehealth more favorably.

"The current crisis has demonstrated the relevance of telehealth and created an opening to modernize the care delivery system," the report's authors wrote. "This modernization will be achieved by embedding telehealth in the care continuum at scale."

- Doug Myrick