What is Medicare?

The costs of home medical care, hospital visits, and prescription drugs can add up fast. If you are without health insurance and do not work than these costs can be even more stifling. For those that live in the United States, there are several social programs offered by the Government and private companies that can help you pay these costs. One service offered by the US Government is Medicare. Medicare is a state funded insurance program that is geared towards helping Americans with their medical bills.

President Lyndon Johnson signed the Medicare bill in July of 1965 as part of an amendment to the Social Security program. The Social Security Program was signed into law in 1935 and came at a time when the United States was trying to bounce back from the Great Depression. Its purpose was to provide a means of limiting the effects of poverty, unemployment, old age, widows, and fatherless children on the American people. This was in many ways a landmark act by President Roosevelt, because by signing the Social Security Act, he was in effect the first president to publicly endorse protection for the elderly.

Medicare came as part of several changes to the Social Security program in the 1960's, and it greatly changed the program. Many Americans of the War Generation were nearing retirement age and poverty levels had been growing steadily. Several amendments were introduced to the Social Security Act to combat these problems. The Medicare Amendment was introduced because Johnson wanted to remove some of the burden of from people whose life savings were being consumed by medical bills, as well as the costs of paying for the care of elderly parents.

The Medicare Program is in large part funded by taxes that are taken from working American's paychecks. The employer is responsible for matching the amount that is taken from each of their employees paychecks, which comes to 2.9% total. Those that are self employed are responsible for the whole 2.9%. In 2004 the United States government spent about $257 billion on Medicare. This figure has continuously grown, and by 2007 Medicare spending was nearly double at $440 billion. This figure represented about 15% of all Federal Government spending in 2007.

Medicare provides health coverage to millions of Americans every year, which might otherwise not be able to afford it. Approximately 43 million Americans used Medicare services in 2007, and by 2031 this number is expected to nearly double. In order to be eligible for Medicare you must meet several criteria. One of the key requirements is citizenship; you must have been a permanent legal resident for at least 5 years to qualify. Those who are over 65 are automatically covered by Medicare.

If you are under 65 and disabled, then you may also be eligible for Medicare. Those under 65 must be disabled and have been receiving Social Security benefits or Railroad Retirement Board benefits for at least 2 years to qualify for Medicare. Medicare also covers those on dialysis for permanent kidney failure, people who need kidney transplants, or people who have Lou Gehrig's disease.

Medicare provides a valuable service to many Americans who may otherwise be unable to afford their medical bills. It helps millions of Americans each year and many could not survive without it.

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Medicare Supplement Plans Discussed

If the question is asked what is health insurance? I think that anybody can give an answer. Actually health insurance is an insurance plan that pays for your medical expenses. In some cases this includes the coverage for disability or long-term nursing or custodial care. This type of insurance plans can be provided through government sponsored social insurance program, or by any private insurance company. It can both be purchased on a group basis, as for example by a firm for its employees or can also be purchased by individual customers. In each case the group or the individual need to pay certain premiums against which the health insurance concern provides protection for unexpected health care expenses. This is what that is done by the health insurance plans.

Now the question is what is Medicare Supplement Plan? To answer this we must first learn what is Medicare? Medicare is a type of health insurance plan, which is provided by the private insurance companies. The Medicare plans covers most of the health care expenses that a person may need. But the fact is that Original Medicare plans does not pay for all the medical expenses that you may be in need of. Therefore in this respect is the need of Medicare Supplement Plans. Medicare Supplement Plans are directly linked with the Original Medicare plans and pays for those costs and gaps that are left behind by the original Medicare plans. As the Medicare Supplement Plans bridges the gap between the policy coverage of the Original Medicare plans and that total Medical costs payable, the Medicare Supplement Plans are also known as the Medigap plans.

It is to be noted that one can enroll himself for a Medicare Supplement Plan only if he is having a Original Medicare plan part A and Part B. Medicare Supplement Plans or Medigap policies cannot be bought as individual policies as they can't pay for the total costs of the medical expenses. Only if you are having an Original Medicare plan you can get enrolled for a Medicare Supplement Plan.

However the Medicare Supplement Plans are sold and administered by the private insurance companies. And there are 12 standard Medigap policies ranging from A through L that are to be sold by the insurance companies. All these twelve policies have their different policy coverage. But along with that it is to be said that no matter from which company you buy you Medigap plan the company is bound to provide same policy coverage and benefits for policies under the same letter cover as provided by the others. Which means that irrespective of the companies selling them the policies under the same letter cover provided the same benefits. For example all plan C Medigap policies covers the same benefits.

Moreover, it is always better to signup for a Medigap plan within thirty days of getting the Original Medigap plan so that you can get the maximum benefits and cost redemption. However, one should seek the help of his/her insurance agent before choosing a plan as they are most aware of the coverage procedure of the insurance companies and they can also help in getting the most suitable. In most cases it is seen that buying a comprehensive plan would cost you few dollars more per month but result in saving you hundreds, may be thousands, of dollars per year in coinsurance and deductibles.

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Medicare Insurance Plan Doesn't Pay For All Medical Care Expenses

It's crucial to take time to study the numerous different Medicare parts as they vary from plan to plan. Medicare insurance is created up of two various parts, which are part A and part B.

Medicare Part A insurance program handles hospital expenses for people over the age of sixty-five. This part also handles hospital costs for people beneath the era of sixty-five who have kidney failure. Part A from the plan is funded by contributions from employers, employees and the self-employed. The payment of these premiums is derived from which are deducted from Social Protection repayments that the affected person has paid.

The premiums that pay out for this part of the system are immediately deducted from interpersonal protection payments. If someone in your family does not receive social protection there is a time period of seven months of registration, which is composed of 3 months before their sixty-fifth birthday and four months after their sixty-fifth birthday. It's very important to make sure that they do not miss the registration period for this purpose.

Plans Medicare doesn't cover custodial treatment or long-term care, but that is covered under the part of seniors plan. The plan will cover only those services that are prescribed through the medical doctor and they should be supplied by a facility that is Medicare approved. The method of health insurance also handles palliative care as long as it is qualified by a physician and also the affected person has 6 months or much less to live. The patient should give up other rights beneath the insurance plan.

Medicare Part B of the plan is paid for using the premiums that people voluntarily pay out and also the federal government pays the rest. Part B of the plan covers points such as lab costs, physicians' expenses, outpatient care and also some house service. This part from the plan doesn't include regimen physical examinations or regimen eye examinations, orthopedic shoes, dentures or hearing aids. It's a good thought to appear at things like as retirement programs as these might provide a lot a lot more benefits. If you have a retirement plan you can opt out of part B of this plan.

About eighty percent of the cost is paid by Medicare Part B insurance. Utilizing a various insurance policy the left behind twenty per cent will need to be settled. To make sure that there is cash accessible to shell out for any medical expenses when they occur, it is feasible to have a premium consequentially deducted. It's very significant to confirm that it does not leave out pre-existing problems while you procure Medigap insurance. It's extremely essential to ensure the policy is obtained prior to six months of the patient turning sixty-five many years of age. The company can't charge extra due to the already present conditions if you register within the specified period.

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Establishing Eldercare Employee Benefits and Long Term Care Insurance

The bottom line for most employers is that 20 to 30 percent of workers care for their elders. Companies are facing the increasing problem of absenteeism in their work force. In the 1970's many companies were faced with the problem of absenteeism because of childcare and initiatives were put in place to allow employee extended leaves and restructuring of work schedules. Some 40 percent of companies today give their employees resources to find childcare in the community. Compared to child care corporate benefits, elder care by and large remains a sleeping giant. Programs do exist give employees information on locating elder care, referral services, and unpaid family leave. Studies by MetLife Insurance have shown that employers stand to save $3 to $5 for every dollar they invest in helping employees find eldercare resources. The California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) has developed a longterm care insurance program that it offers to its employees, retirees, and family members. The program is gaining enormous popularity and as it stands today is has issued more LTC insurance policies than anyone else in California.

There is a popular mistaken belief that Medicare and Medicaid will cover the costs of Long Term Care as people reach retirement. Medicare has very limited coverage in terms of long term care often amounting to as little as 20 days of skilled care and after that the coverage is completely phased out. In fact, up to 53 percent of boomers surveyed in one study mistakenly believed that Medicare would take care of their long term care coverage. The Medicaid option is losing its value because of what is called "Medicaid Creep" whereby many individuals are capitalizing on loopholes in finance reporting are getting aid that is normally reserved for people who are poor. Initiatives need to be taken to inform people that Medicare does not cover long term care.

Private long-term insurance is becoming more popular as more companies are seeing the profit in providing LTC insurance to boomers. The LTC insurance option is still very new and the system still needs to iron out some kinks. Life insurance capitalizes on people's fear of dying too young wheras in the future, LTC insurance will grow on people's fear of living too long. The quality and scope of LTC options is expected to increase in the coming years as the government tights its controls on Medicaid and people realize how much of their retirement saving will be drained from having commit to long term care.

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Medicare History

Medicare history dates back to 1945 when President Harry Truman first asked Congress to establish a national health insurance scheme. His plan was for all people to receive comprehensive and prepaid medical insurance through the Social Security System. As the years passed, the field of recipients was narrowed until it was only social security recipients who stood to benefit. When it was discovered that only 56% of people aged 65 or older had health insurance, President John F. Kennedy lobbied for health insurance for the aged.

However, the Medicare program provision of social health care for the poor and aged did not become law until 1965. On July 30 President Lyndon Johnson signed Medicare and Medicaid into law as part of his "Great Society" and ex President Truman was the first person to receive a Medicare card in recognition of his role in establishing the program. Approximately 19 Million people enrolled in the system during the first year.

Over the years, there have been several key developments and changes during Medicare history in the US. In 1972 changes to the system were expanded to cover two high risk groups. These were disabled persons 65 and under who had been receiving cash benefits for 24 months, and persons with end stage renal disease. The Medicare services were also expanded to include speech therapy, some chiropractic services, and physical therapy. The Supplemental Security Income program was established and those recipients became automatically eligible for Medicare.

In 1983 a prospective payment system was introduced and most federal civilian employees were now covered. By 1984 remaining federal employees, including the President, were covered. In 1986 hospice benefits were made permanent and in 1988 there was a major overhaul of the entire Medicare and Medicaid system so that prescription drugs were covered; this was repealed in 1989. 1992 physician services based on fee schedule were added and in 1997 Medicare+Choice was enacted before being refined in 1999.

The next major overhaul of the Medicare system was when George W. Bush signed the Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act into Law on December 8 2003. This was a landmark legislation that offered better benefits, prescription drug benefits, and increased health care choices for seniors and people living with disabilities.

Changes made in 2005 impacted on eligibility requirements and the Deficit Reduction Act now requires that anyone seeking to claim Medicare has to prove they are a United States citizen or resident alien. In 2006 the voluntary Part D outpatient prescription drug benefit was made available to people with private drugs plans and Medicare Advantage Plans.

During his election campaign in 2008 Barack Obama called for further reforms of the Medicare system to guarantee coverage irrespective of health status, as well as introducing uniform premiums not dependent on income. In 2009 Barack Obama instigated some further reforms to the system to extend coverage to millions more children. On March 23 a health care reform bill was signed into law by President Obama.

Despite the checkered Medicare history, in the US today the scheme is the biggest source of funding for medical and health related services for people living on a low income in the US. With a rapidly aging population, the scheme's nursing home coverage is expanding at a huge rate, which could prove problematic to future federal and state budgets.

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Medicare Providers Enrollment Application Process Overview

In order for a facility to be able to receive payment for medicare covered procedures, the facility must enroll in the medicare program. The facility must complete the "Medicare Enrollment Application for Institutional Providers" form (CMS-855A). Once the facility decides to enroll in the medicare program, there are several ways that the facility can submit their application.

The facility can request the Provider Enrollment Packet. The packet gives the facility step by step instructions on how to complete and submit the CMS-855A. Facilities can also submit this form electronically by logging onto the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Web site. There they can download the form, or submit it electronically.

If the facility is not already a medicare provider and receiving medicare payments directly into their bank account then an electronic funds transfer (EFT) must be submitted with the CMS-855A form. The electronic data interchange (EDI) gives information about submitting funds electronically. This form must be submitted with the CMS-855A in order for the application to be processed.

In addition to the enrollment application, the CMS-855A is required for Change of ownership, stock transfer, additional locations, reactivation of an old medicare provider number, or any other changes in billing or telephone information. This would include address changes, financial information, business name changes, and even changes in management or directing Employees.

A facility that chooses to accept medicare as a form of insurance for patients will receive a National Provider Identifier (NPI). This number must be submitted on all forms so that the review process is quick and efficient. The NPI number should be requested before submitting the CMS-855A forms. Forms without the NPI will not be processed until this step is completed and the NPI is submitted.

Once all the information and application has been submitted, it is then reviewed for approval. Keeping up to date information on file insures that providers receive prompt payment for services rendered under medicare. An audit intermediary (AI) is then assigned to review the CMS-855A form, along with reviewing the medicare providers cost reports to determine final settlement of the cost report. This service helps to provide payment to only viable facilities that are operating in medicare's guide lines and costs.

Medicare is a form of medical insurance issued by the federal government. Payments for services provided under medicare is closely watched to insure that facilities are only billing for services rendered, and that patients are receiving services at the high standard set by medicare. The application process insures that facilities who apply for medicare payments are up to standard and therefor eligible to be a medicare provider.

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Medicare Supplement Quotes

Medicare is a well-known term for American employees. It is a health insurance program administered by the government. It is an insurance program intended for those who are over the age of 65 and for those who fall under the category of the disabled. Medicare Supplement Insurance is a supplement to Medicare that is considered to add coverage to Medicare where additional benefits may be added. Also known as Medigap, Medicare Supplement Insurance may provide further coverage for limited long-term care expenses. The Medicare beneficiary must purchase Medicare Supplement.

Why would you need one? Simply because there are gaps in Medicare. Medicare was never intended to completely cover all your medical fees. With the rising costs of prescription drugs and other forms of maintenance, a supplement is a must. A Medicare Supplement insurance benefits package may be bought from most major health insurance carriers. Medicare supplemental insurance plans must be approved by the government's Department of Insurance so no discrepancy or any inconsistencies may take place. Health insurance providers are a diverse lot - no two are the same, no two offer exactly the same benefit. It's always an excellent idea to shop around for the company that suits your taste.

As you get comparative quotes for Medicare Supplement Insurance rates, remember that:

· There are extensive and sometimes incomprehensible disparities in policy premiums.

· Prices may vary significantly because of a number of factors, such as the number of claims insurance companies will have to pay.

· You could end up paying more than twice the amount of the premium someone else is paying for the exact same benefits.

· Your premium will be based upon your age at the time of purchase, and the premium increases as you add another year - that is, if the insurance company adheres to the issue-age method.

· If not, the purchaser of said Medigap policy pays the same price, in spite of the age.

Who is eligible to buy the supplement? As stated above, a Medicare beneficiary who have Medicare Part A and B can buy the policy. Things not included in Medical Supplements are long-term care, vision or dental care, hearing aids, private-duty nursing care, and outpatient prescription drugs.

Now Medicare supplement is divided into 12 policies - Medigap Plans A to L. Plans A - J are essentially the same, and Plans K and L are alike.

Medigaps Plan A - J have higher premiums compared to K and L. there is virtually no out-of-pocket cost. The basic benefits are fewer than K and L, but the extra benefits are higher, including the likes of preventive care and foreign travel emergency.

Medigaps Plan K and L have lower premiums. Hospice care is included in the basic benefits, and only Medicare Part A deductible, as opposed to Medigaps A - J with an added Medicare Part B deductible.

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Independent Contractors or Employees - How You Classify Is Important

Congratulations on the growth of your new business. Using independent contractors is a good way to handle temporary or seasonal peaks of business, and to assess workers for suitability for full-time employment. This practice also saves the costs of payroll taxes, employee benefits, and worker's compensation insurance. But, just because you say they are independent contractors, does not make them so.

The Internal Revenue Service provides guidance to help you assess whether you have hired an employee or independent contractor. The differences lie generally in your level of control over the work being performed.

Employees are subject to a higher level of control, training, and supervision. You provide their work location, set their hours, supervise their work, have the right to discharge them, and maybe provide some employee benefits. They receive wages which are subject to Federal and state withholdings, as well as Social Security and Medicare taxes. As the business owner, you are liable for the employer's portion of Social Security and Medicare taxes, unemployment taxes, and, under certain circumstances, worker's compensation insurance.

Independent contractors are not subject to that same level of control. Characteristics of an independent contractor include:

*Work for other businesses and make their services available to general public

*Set their own hours and order or sequence of work

*Paid by the job and use a contract for services

*Have a substantial investment in the trade or business

*Bear risk of economic loss

*Have opportunity for profit or loss

*Provide tools and materials necessary to complete assignments

*Hire and fire their own assistants

There are also different reporting requirements. When you hire an employee, you are required to have them complete Form W-4 for Federal withholdings, Form NJ-W4 for New Jersey withholdings, and Form I-9, "Employment Eligibility Verification." An independent contractor completes Form W-9, providing their name and address information, form of doing business, and Taxpayer Identification Number. New Jersey now requires them to also provide proof of business registration.

At the end of the year, prepare Form W-2 to report employee wages earned, certain employee benefits, and taxes withheld. Other forms and tasks are required periodically during the year. For independent contractors you paid more than $600 during the year, report total payments on Form 1099-MISC.

Tax and technical aspects aren't the only considerations in your decision whether to hire employees or independent contractors. You're building a business, so developing employee loyalty should be an important consideration. Loyal employees help create repeat customers, and provide expertise and manpower to help you manage and expand your operations. Independent contractors can perform certain tasks more efficiently due to their expertise. For example, a virtual assistant can tackle certain administrative or marketing functions, and free you for the more important of task of handling client development.

If you think you've inadvertently misclassified a worker as an independent contractor, your CPA can advise you the steps to take. Under IRS guidance in Section 530, you may have a "reasonable basis" for not treating the worker as an employee, if you reasonably relied on:

*Judicial precedent, published rulings, technical advice with respect to the taxpayer, or a letter ruling to the taxpayer;

*Past IRS audits, if there were no penalties assessed for similar treatment of individuals, and the audit included a review of employment records.

*Long-standing, recognized practice of the industry.

If you intentionally misclassified workers to prevent paying the payroll taxes, you may be subject to substantial penalties.

Classification of workers can be complicated, so if you aren't sure which category is correct, contact your CPA and discuss your situation.

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The New Republican Plan to Save Medicare - Part One, Defining the Benefit

The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie, deliberate, contrived and dishonest, but the myth, persistent, persuasive and unrealistic.

John F. Kennedy

I always found it ironic that when I was interviewing for a job, one of the first things discussed was retirement. When I was looking for radiology jobs, private retirement plans were transitioning to defined contribution plans from defined benefit plans. Understanding the evolution of private pension plans is a useful exercise for grasping the motivation behind representative Paul Ryan's new budget proposals, and are vital for understanding the daunting problems confronting Medicare, Obamacare, and healthcare in America.

A defined contribution plan is much like your 401k. You put in money every year, invest it, and take out whatever is there when you retire. Of course, the problem is that if you invest poorly, you have less than you might have hoped, and you can never be certain of how long your money will last. In contrast, a defined benefit plan guaranteed you a certain amount of money per year after a certain age, no matter what. Although money would be put aside from your salary every year, if the pension plan did not have enough money to pay you when you retired, new employees would be required to make up the difference, by contributing more from their paychecks, usually without limits.

Private plans and individuals realized many years ago that defined benefits plans were unfair to future employees. If the accountant's investment assumptions didn't work out, or retirees lived a long time, new employees would be required to contribute large amounts to retirees. Furthermore, present employees would be reliant on the success and goodwill of future employees to ensure their own retirement. Additionally, companies and partnerships were not able to anticipate what their future expenses would be. These defined benefits plans, and their undefined risks became major impediments to corporate health, and to hiring new people. Such programs have been almost completely eliminated among Radiology groups, and in most corporations with a choice in the matter.

More importantly, if the accountants or executives were dishonest, these defined benefit plans could be manipulated and result in major abuses. Unreasonable growth assumptions could be utilized to justify lowering present contributions to the retirement plan. The extra money could then be used for salaries and bonuses, placing the burden for the fraud on future employees. Pressure to pad the bottom line, and satisfy union demands, makes the incentive to cheat on these assumptions enormous. Eventually the piper must be paid, and the expense of funding these pension plans can make companies uncompetitive, leading to their failure. There are many examples of such malfeasance, the auto, airline, and steel industries in America have been destroyed, in large part, by such abuse of defined benefit pension plans.

Government programs, including medicare, social security, Obamacare, and other pension plans are far far worse. Not only are the assumptions underlying the plans blatant lies, the benefits themselves are "undefined", with no attempt to cap outlays being made.

Paul Ryan is making a brave, if doomed, first attempt to address these issues, more to come.

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Employees vs Independent Contractors - What's a Small Business to Do?

Have you noticed the upsurge in the number of companies outsourcing work to independent contractors? We're not talking about a gradual upsurge, either. The growth is robust and shows no sign of slowing down. The rise in independent contractors is a trend that really got traction with the so-called "Jobless" economic recovery of recent years. The late 1980's and 1990's were a time when "downsizing" swept the economy and many good people found themselves out of work through no fault of their own. Their company simply decided to "go in another direction" or "trim the fat" or even get "lean and mean." It is no surprise that many of these folks-quite a few of them, no doubt, still upset about being referred to as "the fat"-reinvented themselves and popped up a few years later as independent contractors.

The idea is pretty simple. Like temp workers, you hire an independent contractor to perform a given project for a given amount of money. That is it. No overhead, no benefits to worry about, no taxes to withhold. Nothing but straight pay for straight work and then, when you don't need them anymore, they go away without all the potential legal fuss. Try that with an employee! From the contractor's point of view, they can set their own hours, have a real say in how much they get paid, choose their assignments and complete them in any way they think best. In fact, as long as the assignment is completed on time and on budget, the employer has little or no say in how the job gets done at all. On top of that, the independent contractor can juggle multiple assignments at the same time. They have no obligation to remain "faithful" to the employer and so can take other jobs that may, because of higher pay or other considerations, take precedence over your project.

These are not issues when you hire straight employees. You are in control of employee salaries and you can count on a certain amount of loyalty. Loyalty can have a positive effect on productivity, as can a sense of belonging that comes with a regular job. What's more, having steady, regular employees will improve overall workflow since everyone knows their job (or jobs) and how they fit into the big picture. The trade-off here is that you will have extra overhead, you will have to make payroll every week and that you will go from spending most of your time practicing your trade to splitting your time between management duties and the work you love. You will also have a higher exposure to lawsuits-especially worker-related suits-and you may need to move to larger offices to accommodate your new workforce.

The biggest pitfall in the whole issue comes not from the independent contractor you decided to hire for "Project Wildebeest." No, the biggest issue comes from not understanding the legal definitions of employee and independent contractor as they relate to taxes.

According to the Internal Revenue Service, before you can determine how to treat payments you make for services, you must first know the business relationship that exists between you and the person performing the services. The tax code recognizes four different categories of such persons:

An independent contractor
A common-law employee
A statutory employee
A statutory nonemployee

It is critical that you, the employer, correctly determine whether the individuals providing services are employees or independent contractors. Generally, you must withhold income taxes, withhold and pay Social Security and Medicare taxes, and pay unemployment tax on wages paid to an employee. You do not generally have to withhold or pay any taxes on payments to independent contractors. Understand that if you incorrectly classify an employee as an independent contractor, you can be held liable for employment taxes for that worker, plus a penalty.

Employee vs. Independent Contractor

The key to determining whether the person providing service is an employee or an independent contractor is the degree of control you have and independence of your hire. Facts that provide evidence of the degree of control and independence fall into three categories: behavioral control, financial control, and the type of relationship of the parties.

As a general rule, you have the right to control or direct only the result of the work done by an independent contractor. You do not have the right to control or direct the means and methods of accomplishing that result. On the other hand, anyone who performs services for you, and you control both what will be done and how it will done, is an employee. This is the case even when you give the employee complete freedom of action. What matters is that you have the right to control the details of how the services are performed.

Statutory Employees vs. Statutory Nonemployees

If a worker is classified as an independent contractor under the common law, that person may still be treated as employees by statute (they are referred to as statutory employees) for certain tax purposes if they fall into one of the four categories below and meets certain requirements for Medicare and Social Security:

A driver who distributes beverages (other than milk) or meat, vegetable, fruit, or bakery products; or who picks up and delivers laundry or dry cleaning, if the driver is your agent or is paid on commission.
A full-time life insurance sales agent whose principal business activity is selling life insurance or annuity contracts, or both, primarily for one life insurance company.
An individual who works at home on materials or goods that you supply and that must be returned to you or to a person you name, if you also furnish specifications for the work to be done.
A full-time traveling or city salesperson who works on your behalf and turns in orders to you from wholesalers, retailers, contractors, or operators of hotels, restaurants, or other similar establishments. The goods sold must be merchandise for resale or supplies for use in the buyer's business operation. The work performed for you must be the salesperson's principal business activity.

Statutory nonemployees fall into two categories: direct sellers and licensed real estate agents. They are treated as self-employed for all Federal tax purposes, including income and employment taxes, as long as the following are true:

Substantially all payments for their services as direct sellers or real estate agents are directly related to sales or other output, rather than to the number of hours worked.
Their services are performed under a written contract providing that they will not be treated as employees for Federal tax purposes.

You have to determine for yourself whether hiring regular employees or independent contractors works better for your company. However, whichever way you go, there will be certain tax implications that you will have to deal with and you will have to keep these business relationships straight in order to figure things out by April 15th.

So, unless you have been to this particular rodeo a time or two and know what you are doing, the best thing to do is to contact a tax professional who has experience in the area of payroll and employment, someone you trust who can guide you properly.

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What is the Difference Between an Independent Contractor and an Employee?

People often ask me about the difference between an independent contractor and an employee. Nowadays, due to the significant savings on payroll taxes, liability insurance etc, many small business owners would rather hire independent contractors than commit themselves to an employer-employee relationship with their workers.

Regardless of the written agreement the business may have with that person, there are certain rules which the IRS employs in determining whether it's an independent contractor relationship or not.

To stay on the safe side and avoid potential costly penalties, you should be aware of those rules. They are called the "20 Common Law Factors". Here is how they describe an employee:

1. Instructions. An employee must follow the employer's directions regarding the work.

2. Training. An employee receives training from or under the direction of the employer.

3. Work essential to the company. An employee provides services that are essential to the business.

4. Work performed personally. An employee provides services that must be rendered personally.

5. Control their own assistants. An employee cannot hire, supervise or pay his own assistants at his sole discretion.

6. Continuing relationship. An employee has a continuing relationship with the company.

7. Working hours. An employee must follow set working hours.

8. No time available to pursue other employment. Usually an employee works full time for the employer and has no time available to pursue other gainful work.

9. Job location. An employee performs all or most of his work on the employer's premises. If they work elsewhere, it is at the company's direction and supervision.

10. Set order of work. An employee must do his work in the order determined by the employer.

11. Interim reports. An employee must submit periodic progress reports to the employer.

12. Timing of Payment. An employee is paid for time worked, weekly, monthly, etc.

13. Business expenses. An employee receives reimbursement for travel and other business expenses.

14. Tools and materials. An employee depends on the company for his tools and materials.

15. Amount of investment. An employee has no big investment in the facility or tools needed for his work.

16. Profit or loss. An employee cannot suffer a loss based upon his own services.

17. One employer. An employee works for only one employer or company at a time.

18. Services available to the public. An employee does not offer his services to other companies or the public.

19. Right to discharge. An employee can be fired by the employer.

20. Right to quit. An employee may quit at any time without suffering any liability.

Basically, an independent contractor will be someone who has the opposite relationship with the hiring firm to that of an employee.

Even if a person is an independent contractor under these common law rules, he or she may nevertheless be treated as an employee by statute ("statutory employee") for certain employment tax purposes, if he or she falls within any one of the following four categories:

Statutory Employees:

1. Food and laundry drivers.

2. A full-time life insurance sales agent working mainly for one life insurance company.

3. At-home worker who is supplied with materials or goods which must be returned to you or to a person you name, if you also furnish specifications for the work to be done.

4. A full-time traveling or city salesperson who sells goods to people (or businesses) for resale.

Social security and Medicare taxes

You need to withhold social security and Medicare taxes from the pay of statutory employees if all three of the following conditions are met:

1. The service contract states or implies that most of the services are to be performed by them personally.

2. They do not have a substantial investment in the equipment and tools used to render the services.

3. The services are rendered on a continuing basis for the same firm.

Lucy Rudnicka is a former Corporate Controller. She now owns her own Accounting Services firm - "FINANCIALS for You" - and works primarily with small businesses by providing them with outsourced bookkeeping, business plan preparation, part-time Controller services and professionally designed financial templates.

She believes that every business, no matter how small, needs accurate and timely financial statements. Once those financials are available, you can start analyzing your results with financial ratios. Download a profit and loss template with ratios and start looking at your business differently today!

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Paying an Employee or Contract Laborer: Understanding the Differences

As a business owner with a growing business, you quickly realize that you can't possibly do everything that needs to be done. As a result you may want to hire some help. There are two ways to compensate someone who does work for you: either as an employee or as an independent contractor.

So what is the difference between the two? First, if you choose to higher someone as an employee, you have to pay half of their Social Security and Medicare tax, pay unemployment insurance on them, file quarterlies, and send them a W-2 at the end of the year. This can be costly and time consuming for a business owner who is striving to build a business.

As a result, a lot of business owners choose to pay people as independent contractors. This eliminates having to pay half of the Social Security and Medicare tax, the unemployment insurance, and filing quarterly taxes. The business owner still needs to generate a 1099 form at the end of the year and give that to the independent contractor, but the costs are considerably less.

The IRS watches very closely how you choose to compensate people for the work they do for you. The IRS has come up with specific criteria for determining whether a person is an employee or independent contractor. If you don't follow the specific criteria then a worker can be considered an employee and you could find yourself paying back Social Security and Medicare tax and unemployment insurance. With that can bring large penalties and interest.

So how do you decide which is the best way to compensate your workers? That is entirely up to you, but the most important thing to do is to make sure you are following the rules for paying employees and independent contractors correctly. Click the links below for an instructional CD set that will teach you everything you need to know to make sure you are following these rules.

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Go to http://www.avoidbeingaudited.com to make sure you are paying your employees and independent contractors correctly. And to learn more about how to save thousands on your taxes without worrying about being audited.

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Medigap Or Medicare Supplements

If you or your parents decide to stay with traditional Medicare, you should strongly consider the purchase of a Medigap policy (frequently called a Medicare Supplement) to fill the gaps in coverage. Before making a decision to buy, you need to do some research so that you clearly understand the benefits of each type of Medigap policy and how to compare plans.

A large number of Americans on Medicare rely on some form of insurance whether it be a retiree plan, Medicaid, or a Medigap policy- to supplement Medicare. Let's briefly review some of the areas where an individual might need assistance with Medicare Benefits.

First, Part A, which covers hospitalizations, has a benefit period deductible of $1100 for 2010. The first 60 days in the hospital are provided at no charge once the deductible is satisfied. If hospitalization goes beyond 60 days, the Medicare beneficiary is then responsible for a copay of $275 per day for days 61 through 90. The copay increases to $550 per day for days 91 through 150 which are your lifetime reserve days. For days 151 and beyond, the insured is responsible for all hospitalization costs. In the case where an individual is transferred from a hospital to a skilled nursing facility, the first 20 days are provided at no charge. Days 20 through 100 require the payment of a copay of $137.50 per day. Days beyond 100 in a Skilled Nursing Facility are excluded by Medicare.

Part B, which primarily addresses professional services, has an annual deductible of $155. After the deductible is satisfied, Medicare pays at 80% of approved charges (as determined by Medicare) with the insured being responsible for the remaining 20% and overage charged by the provider of service but not approved by Medicare. This 20% is open ended with no cap.

If you are traveling outside of the United States, Medicare generally does not cover anything. The insured would be responsible for all costs.

Changes Coming to Supplements as of June 1, 2010

Back in 2003 a law was passed that required changes to the types of Supplements sold and the benefits that these plans were to provide. Ironically, this new law takes effect as of June 1, 2010 and has nothing to do with the recently passed Health Care reform bill. In the past, the different types of Supplements had letter names assigned to them corresponding to the alphabet ranging from A thru L. With the implementation of the new law; plans E,H, I, and J are being eliminated while plans M and N are being added. People who purchased E, H, I, and J plans prior to June 1, 2010 will be able to keep them as long as they continue to pay their premiums. Please do not confuse the Supplement Plan types with the different coverages available thru Medicare; Part A, Part B, Part C, and Part D.

The Supplement plans that will be available as of June 1st will be A, B, C, D, F, High Deductible F, G, K, L, M, and N. These plans are sold by private insurance companies. In actual practice, most companies sell only selected plans. Historically, the "C" and "F" supplements have been the most popular.

With the change in the number of plans being sold come some changes in benefits. Plans E and J have had the "Preventive Care Benefit" eliminated (even though these plans will no longer be sold after 5/31/10). With some exceptions, Medicare has started providing preventive care. However, Preventive Care is first subject to the $155 annual Plan B deductible and then would be pay at 80% of approved charges with the insured being responsible for the balance. "At Home Recovery" has been eliminated from Plans D and G. For new sales of Plan G, the 80% Excess Benefit has been changed to 100%. However, if you have versions of D,G,E and J sold prior to June 1, 2010; you will continue under the old benefit provisions.

What is being added to Supplement plans sold as of June 1, 2010? Basic benefits for plans sold after June 1st will now include your share of Medicare Part A eligible Hospice Care and Respite Care. Plan K will pay your share of the cost at 50% while Plan L will pay 75% of the cost until the out of pocket limit is met, with any balance then being covered at 100%.

Brief Overview of Supplements C, F, M and N

Plan C: For copayment visits, includes 100% Part B Coverage; provides skilled nursing facility coinsurance; Pays part A deductible; Pays part B deductible; Does not pay part B excess; Covers foreign travel emergency**

Plan F: For copayment visits, includes 100% Part B Coverage; provides skilled nursing facility coinsurance; Pays part A deductible; Pays part B deductible; Pays part B excess; Covers foreign travel emergency**

High Deductible Plan F: For copayment visits, includes 100% Part B Coverage; Provides skilled nursing facility coinsurance*; Pays part A deductible*; Pays part B deductible*; Pays part B excess*; Covers foreign travel emergency**

Plan M: For copayment visits, includes 100% Part B Coverage; Provides skilled nursing facility coinsurance; Covers 50% of part A deductible; Does not pay for part B deductible; Does not pay part B excess; Covers foreign travel emergency**

Plan N: For copayment visits, includes 100% Part B Coverage except up to $20 for office and up to $50 copayment for Emergency room; Provides skilled nursing facility coinsurance; Pays part A deductible; Does not pay part B deductible; Does not pay part B excess; Covers foreign travel emergency**

*High Deductible Plan F pays the same benefits as Plan F after the insured has paid a $2000 calendar year deductible. High Deductible does not begin paying benefits until the insured's out of pocket expenses exceed $2000. Expenses that would go towards the $2000 deductible would include the deductibles for Part A and Part B. However, the separate $250 deductible for foreign travel emergencies would not be included in the $2000 deductible for this plan.

**Emergencies which occur outside the United States are generally not covered. These supplements do provide 80% coverage after a calendar deductible of $250 up to a maximum lifetime benefit of $50,000. The insured would be responsible for the other 20% of charges.

As mentioned, M and N are new plans for 2010. These plans are cost sharing plans and the insured will be responsible for a larger portion of the costs when compared to Plan C or F. Like the C or F plans, M and N will continue to allow an insured to visit any doctor or hospital as long as the provider of service "accepts Medicare assignment." In terms of cost, a Plan M is expected to be about 85% of the cost of a Plan F while a Plan N should be about 70% of the cost of a Plan F.

An individual who combines a prescription drug plan with a supplement and has both Parts of Medicare, should look forward to complete medical coverage.

Ed Walden is owner of Walden Associates Insurance Services, an independent agency that has over 55 years of experience in employee Benefits, Individual/Family Insurance, and Commercial Property/Casualty Insurance fields. Ed is certified to sell Medicare, along with Long Term Care, and many other products. Ed holds the designations of Chartered Life Underwriter, Registered Health Underwriter, Registered Employee Benefits Consultant. We pride ourselves on experience, knowledge, and being extremely accessible to our clients no matter how large or small the concern. We do not work for any insurance carrier so your needs are our top priority.

Watch for a future article that explains more about Medicare's prescription drug plans.

Medicare's website, http://www.medicare.gov, is a good source of information to aid in researching the types of Medigap policies available. Medicare does publish an official guide to purchasing Medigap policies called Choosing A Medigap Policy: A Guide to Health Insurance for People with Medicare. This guide can be obtained by calling 1-800-MEDICARE or it is available for download on medicare's website. In addition, it is available at our website: http://www.waldenbrokers.com.

Edward Walden, CLU, RHU, REBC

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Is Medicare Part D Insurance Necessary?

Some of the expensive things that many of us have to deal with on a monthly basis is our prescription medication. If you have become eligible for Medicare plan A or B, you are automatically eligible to take part in Medicare part D as well. This is prescription drug coverage, and many people have been able to afford their prescriptions as a result of qualifying for this government run program. There are many times, however, when people may opt to delay taking part in the Medicare part D program. Here are some of the more common reasons why that may be the case.

If you or your spouse has become eligible for part A or B, yet you still have insurance through your employer, it may be to your benefit to delay getting Medicare part D at this time. For example, if you are over 65 years of age and have already applied for and been accepted into the standard Medicare packages, you may have insurance through your employer that is better than what is available through Medicare part D. When an employer has over 20 employees, it is necessary for him to offer you the same opportunity for insurance as all of the other employees. This is true, even if you also have Medicare. This may be one reason why you would want to delay getting into the Medicare plan D program.

If you are under the age of 65 and qualify for Medicare part A or B, yet are still working, your employer may also offer you a better prescription package than what is available through Medicare. This is the case whenever an employer has over 100 employees, as they are required by law to offer you the same insurance that is available to the other employees. Many people are able to receive better prescription coverage through their employer and they delay getting Medicare part D as a result.

It is important for you to understand, however, that if your circumstances change and it becomes necessary for you to get Medicare prescription coverage, you have a period of two months in order to apply for Medicare part D once your old insurance lapses. There are several different stipulations that go along with this, and it may be different if you have COBRA. Make sure that you talk to your insurance agent about these differences so that you can sign up when necessary in order to avoid any late enrollment penalties that may be charged.

Medicare Part D

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Medicare Benefits and Costs

Medicare is an insurance program that is offered to some Americans and funded and, in most cases, administered, by the Federal Government. There are over forty million Americans that currently use this social insurance program and this figure is expected to nearly double over the next twenty years.

While funded by the federal government, part of the money that funds this program is raised by income taxes. The employer and the employee both pay half of the amount and this comes to around 3% of a persons income, with the employee paying 1.5% and the employer matching this amount. People that are self employed must pay the entire 3%, but they can claim half of this on their taxes.

This social insurance program is divided into several parts. Part A benefits include things like stays at hospitals and nursing homes. Part B benefits cover services like x-rays, ambulance trips, and dialysis. Included in Part B benefits is the coverage of durable medical equipment, which includes things like adjustable beds and wheelchairs.

Those that are on Medicare are also required to pay deductibles and monthly or yearly premiums to receive coverage. If a person, or their spouse, has paid Medicare taxes for at least 40 quarters, then they will typically not have to pay any monthly or annual premiums to receive Part A benefits. Otherwise, they will have to pay between $200 and $425 depending on how many taxable quarters they, or their souse, has worked. However, even if they do not have to make any monthly payments, the insured is still required to pay a deductible for most services. For example for a hospital stay of less than sixty days, there is a deductible of about $1000. After that, there is a deductible of about $250 per day.

While many people end up not having to pay any premium to receive Part A benefits, there is a premium to receive Part B benefits. Usually this is around $100 per month, but this figure can vary based on a persons income. The insured must also pay a deductible to receive these benefits. For Durable medical equipment, the insured is usually responsible for around 20% of the total cost of the piece of equipment.

The original Medicare Bill, which became law during the sixties, outlined only Part A and Part B benefits, but 1997 a new part was added. This is referred to as Part C benefits or Medicare Advantage Plans. Part C allows those that are eligible to receive Medicare benefits, to use private insurance companies instead of the federally run program. These programs are administered by private insurance companies, but are still required to offer the same benefits offered by traditional Medicare. The private companies are given a good deal of leeway in deciding how to offer these benefits, and as a result there are differences in the cost of these plans. Since these plans can vary, make sure that you fully read and understand the plan, in addition to comparing it to other plans and traditional Medicare.

A few years ago, in 2006, there was another change to Medicare, which added coverage for Prescription medicine. This is usually referred to as Part D of Medicare and, while it is rather inclusive, it does not cover all types of medicine. Medicines that are not covered include most controlled substances, although over the next few years, some controlled substances are set to be covered.

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Baby Einstein - Baby Van Gogh - World of Colors

The Baby Einstein Company's "video board books" were designed as music-focused developmental tools to stimulate babies' brains (prompted by research proving that exposure to classical melodies can improve verbal ability, spatial intelligence, creativity, and memory in youngsters). Now the company is expanding into other art forms, including color and art. The idea remains the same--taking bold, beautiful objects (toys, puppets, nature scenes) and setting them to fun renditions of classical music (their recordings are easily the best in the crowded field of child development). A new puppet--Vincent Van Goat--introduces the six primary colors and associates them with Van Gogh's paintings--"The Starry Night" for blue, "Wheat Fields with Reaper" for yellow. The only misstep is the poetry written and read by creator Julie Aigner-Clark, which is strongly reminiscent of Dr. Seuss's My Many Colored Days.

The company suggests the program is for toddlers between the ages of 1 and 4. Harsh sounds between segments--such as balloons popping and tires screeching--will draw the attention of youngsters but will probably render the video inappropriate for babes in arms. The video can be purchased by itself or with a beautifully produced 28-page book featuring Van Gogh's paintings, screen shots from the video, and Clark's poems. The combination set may be the best way to engage 3- and 4-year-olds' interest; they can follow along in the text while watching the video. Music includes "The William Tell Overture," "The Blue Danube," "Bolero," and Brahms's "Lullaby." The video also provides information on the cool toys seen in the ending "Toy Chest" segment. --Doug Thomas

Price: $19.99

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International Research Labs Rapidlash Eyelash Enhancing Serum (3ml), 0.1-fluid ounces Bottle

Promotes healthy, natural lashes & brows in just 4-6 weeks!
Great for Eyebrows!
In just 4-6 weeks, this innovative high-performance formula promotes healthy, natural lashes and brows! Lashes and brows are nourished and strengthened to fight damaging environmental elements and premature fallout. Vital proteins, vitamins and moisturizing ingredients join forces to help rejuvenate and fortify delicate lashes and brows, and improve the overall appearance. RapidLash offers fast results that help turn brittle, short or sparse lashes into fuller, thicker-looking lashes and brows!
Potent Polypeptides help increase the thickness and volume! Powerful Polypeptides provide effective protection against breakage and naturally supports stronger, more voluminous lashes.
Vital proteins and vitamins help replenish and fortify! Panthenol combined with rich minerals help replenish and rejuvenate lashes with essential proteins and vitamins that provide strength and shine.
Moisturizing and rejuvenating agents help add shine and flexibility! Unique moisturizing agents provide superior hydration to lashes by locking in moisture while improving flexibility and elasticity.
This innovative high-performance serum formulated with advanced polypeptides helps amplify the length, thickness and volume of eyelashes with a simple once a day application. Ideal for women and men, brittle, weak, thin or short lashes and eyebrows.
Q. How long will one container of RapidLash last?
A. If applied according to directions, one container of RapidLash should last approximately 1-2 months. Daily applications to upper lash line only will provide a longer yield than if also applied to lower lash line and/or eyebrows.
Q. How long does it take to see an improvement in the appearance of my lashes?
A. Our efficacy tests have shown it takes approximately 3-4 weeks before you can see a noticeable improvement in the appearance of eyelashes.
Q. Is RapidLash safe to use on the delicat

Price: $49.95

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