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Broker Toolkit HEALTH COVERED CA Covered CA Learning Center Website Covered CA Enrollment Tool Kit Covered CA Individual and Families Information Covered CA Insurers: Anthem Blue Cross, Aetna, Balance by CCHP, Blue Shield of CA, Health Net, Inland Empire Health Plan, Kaiser Permanente, LA Care, Molina Health Plan, Sharp Health Plan, Valley Health Plan, Western Health Plan HOW TO PICK A HEALTH PLAN How to Choose the Right Health Plan – Nerd Wallet Website Register for Kaiser Permanente Website APPLICATIONS CREBP-NORBAR Anthem 2024 Enrollment Application CREBP-NORBAR Anthem Information Change Form 2024 CREBP Kaiser Application 2024-2025 CREBP Kaiser Change Form (2024-2024) CREBP 2024-2025 Kaiser Northern California Sample Fee List CREBP 2024-2025 Kaiser Southern California Sample Fee List HEALTH CONCERNS Infertility – Women’s Health Policy Information 1 Infertility – Women’s Health Policy Information 2 Tree of Life Kaiser Infertility Center Website SALES PROSPECTING FOR HEALTH (MEDICAL) COVERAGE Successful Selling 1 Successful Selling 2 Successful Selling 3 HSA/HDHP/HRA/FSA/ICHRA CDHP – HDHP, HSA’s, HRA’s and FSA’s Explained What are the Differences Between HSA’s, HRA’s and FSA’s HSA/FSA/HRA How to Save Taxes 1 HSA/FSA/HRA How to Save Taxes 2 10 HSA Rules of Advisors Health Savings Account Video 1 Health Savings Account Video 2 HSA Contributions for 2025 HSA Resources 1 HSA Resources 2 RTO ICHRA Administration 1 RTO ICHRA Administration 2 MISC REFERRALS How to Ask for Referrals 1 How to Ask for Referrals 2 SUPPLEMENTAL COVERAGES - MEDICARE 2025 Medicare Update VISION Steps for Selling Dental, Vision and Hearing Insurance Vision Plan Matrix Enhanced Benefits Principal Dental Access Flyer Mutual of Omaha Term Life Information Mutual of Omaha AD&D Information Vision Plan of America Summary of Benefits (M-Plus)

California Health Insurance Find My Plan Our Programs Includes Anthem Blue Cross® Medical Plan, Principal Dental Access Plan, Mutual Of Omaha Guaranteed Issue Group Life Insurance with AD&D, Vision Plan of America, and Admin Fee CREBP Benefit Package* w/Anthem Blue Cross® Medical Find My Plan Shop, compare and select the most affordable group health insurance plans. Let’s help you save $$$ and provide the best for your team. Have both W-2 employees and 1099 Independent Contractors? Ask us about our Private Label program. Employer Group Health Find My Plan Includes Kaiser® Medical Plan, Principal Dental Access Plan, Mutual Of Omaha Guaranteed Issue Group Life Insurance with AD&D, Vision Plan of America, and Admin Fee CREBP Benefit Package* w/Kaiser® Medical Find My Plan Get Quality Health Insurance at a Price You Can Afford! More than 50 plan options available for individuals and families. Whether you are self-employed, in-between jobs or in need of health insurance coverage, we have a plan for you. Individual and Family Health Find My Plan Health Find My Plan Realtor©, Corporate and Affiliate Association Members can choose from CREBP packages with more than 20+ Kaiser® Group Plan Options and more than 60+ Anthem Blue Cross® Group Plan Options. Monthly E-Newsletter and Benefit Advisor We scour the web for straight-forward articles from reputable third-party sources (such as Kaiser, The Wall Street Journal & more) that address how the various topics of health care can have a direct impact on our clients. The newsletter includes several columns on current health news, health events and recognized health days. We send these directly to our clients. We utilize both Facebook and Twitter to keep our clients and Associations up to date on the most important developments in the health care marketplace and to communicate topics of interest that can have a direct effect on health and health care coverage. *The E-Newsletter can be copied & pasted for inclusion on Association websites and/or electronic correspondence to Association Members. Employer Groups The health insurance marketplace is very dynamic and constantly changing. The Benefits Store utilizes the latest options in program design to meet both your budget and your employee’s health needs. We partner with technical online platforms (including Quotit) for fast turnaround and enrollment in the bidding cycle. Covered California Benefits Store and California’s Health Exchange – Covered California (Covered CA) Our firm has multiple Brokers that have successfully completed the Covered CA licensing requirements and are certified to assist consumers with the navigation and enrollment process into California’s Health Exchange. The process can be complicated for consumers doing this on their own, as well as choosing the best plan for themselves and their family. Since there is no discount/price savings for clients enrolling on their own, it is usually advisable to have assistance from a Benefit Store Broker in this process. We have a dedicated section that is an educational and information resource for individuals needing clarification on Covered CA issues for the self-employed and small businesses. It addresses many of the questions we have been getting from Californians and even provides a subsidy calculator. Go to the Covered California page. What Our Clients Say ★★★★★ Thank you again for your time, help and perseverance to get this accomplished. You've given us some peace of mind regarding health coverage. Please let us know who we can commend you to at the Benefits Store. Michelle and the Get Results Team ★★★★★ You guys are really great. I just stood up on the bleachers at my sons' baseball game and announced your praises! Beth, Santa Barbara CA ★★★★★ After just 4 days The Benefits Store staff accomplished more than other "industry related" staff were able to do after 30 days! Plus the staff is sincere and easy to work with! Jennifer, San Diego CA Our Partners

Disability Insurance Protect one of your most valuable assets, Your Income, with Disability Insurance. Having homeowners protection and auto insurance provides peace of mind if you ever need to file a claim for home damage or a car accident. But, what about the peace of mind in knowing you can continue to pay everyday living expenses if you become too sick or hurt to work? Protect your financial foundation — your income — in the event of a disabling illness or injury with Individual Disability Income (DI) insurance. Insuring your income Protecting your financial security. The premium for an Individual DI policy is typically just 1 to 3% of what you earn — often less than the cost of a monthly date night, buying lunch every day or your monthly technology needs (smartphone, internet and cable service). The Benefit Store offers several Types of Disability Insurance Policies for both individuals and business owners with 10 highly rated carriers. Most policies can be catered to meet your individual needs based on your goals and options desired. Ask us about disability insurance First Name Last Name Email Phone Home Zip Code Message Send me the Monthly Newsletter Send Your data is encrypted with a Comodo SSL Security Certificate Types of Disability Insurance Individual Disability insurance can replace a portion of lost income if you are unable to work due to sickness or injury. It can help you to meet your financial obligations and maintain your current lifestyle. Some of the benefits Individual Disability Insurance include: Monthly Benefit Payments - After an initial waiting period, benefits are paid for each month you can't work through the policy's maximum benefit period Non-cancelable and Guaranteed Renewable Coverage Available - Provided premiums are paid on time, your insurance cannot be canceled or changed. Your coverage or premium rates remain the same from the first premium due date until on or after your 67th birthday. Up to 66% Income Replacement for Individuals - Benefits from your disability policy are paid to you income tax free for the length of any long term or total disability Own Occupation - If you become totally disabled from your occupation and choose to work in another occupation, you’ll receive full benefits, regardless of the income you earn from the other occupation Residual and Recovery Benefit - Pays you when you are partially disabled and not earning 100% of your pre-disability earnings. Your Residual benefit will pay you relative to your loss of income. If you can only earn 50% of your previous income, your residual benefit will be 50% of your disability benefit until you get back to your full income. Frequently asked questions What benefit amount do I qualify for based on my current my income Your benefit amount is based on a percentage of your income. Typically this will be in the 60% range of adjusted gross income and can be a tax-free benefit. What is the elimination (waiting) period? What is the difference in cost by shortening or lengthening that period? The elimination periodrefers to the length of time you must be disabled before benefits begin. It can be 30, 60, 90, 180 or 365 days. The longer the elimination period, the lower the cost will be. One point to keep in mind is that individual DI policies usually pay the claimant at the end of each month – so if you have a 90-day elimination period, you will not receiveyour first claim check until the 120th day (or around this time). What is the benefit period? The benefit period refers to the length of time that the benefit is paid once you have satisfied the elimination period and are on claim. Policies commonly pay for two, five or 10 years and to age 65, 66 or 67. Obviously, the longer the benefit period, the higher the cost will be. Does my benefit coordinate with other insurance benefits (such as workers comp or Social Security)? Many individual policies do not coordinate with workers compensation or Social Security. These policies are generally offered to mostly white-collar-type occupations and more highly compensated individuals. In other occupations, and in most group disability insurance, there may be coordination with other disability benefits. This has the positive effect of lowering premiums. What is the definition of disability in the contract? Does this definition change after a period of time? The definition of disability is one of the most important elements in the policy. Definitions vary from each disability company, and sometimes even within the same company. There are definitions that cover specific job duties, any job duties, or loss of income only. Consequently, it is essential that you seek the advice of a professional DI advisor to guide you through the variations and the potential positive and negative features. Do I need to be totally disabled to receive a benefit, or does my policy contain a partial benefit provision? Many of the quality individual disability policies on the market today provide for Residual, or partial, disability benefits. Sometimes this feature is included in the policy; in others, it is added by rider. In both instances, the plans provide that a proportionate benefit is paid based on a percentage of your loss of income. For example, a 50% loss of income during a partial disability would result in a benefit of 50% of your regularmonthly benefit. The residual-type benefit is usually paid to age 65 as long as the insured continues to sustain an income loss. What optional benefits are available to me? Many companies offer an array of options that can be added to the policy. Each of these additional features will have its own cost.This approach offers great flexibility in designing a plan to suit your particular needs. Some of the optional features are the aforementioned residual rider, an own-occupation rider (enhances the definition of disability in the policy), a non-cancelable rider (provides for level premiums during the duration of the policy), a future purchase option rider (guarantees your right to purchase additional amount of protection without evidence of medical insurability) and cost of living rider (designed to protect your benefit from the erosion of inflation). What is the rating of the carrier? There are various rating agencies that are independent and that assign ratings to insurance companies based on an in-depth study of their operations and financial stability. Some of the more widely known agencies are A.M. Best, Standard & Poor’s, Fitch and Moody’s. The rating is typically assigned in the form of letters, e.g., AAA or A+. Each company’s website will have a link to its ratings.Financially sound companies are an important factor in deciding the company with which you chose to do business. What is the reputation of the carrier as it relates to paying claims? Since this is a subjective question, we recommend checking with your state Department of Insurance for the complaint record of a particular company you are considering. Most Departments of Insurance keep records of this type and it is considered public information. What occupational classification have I been placed into? Can this change if I change occupations? The nature of the work you do is a critical factor in determining the premium you will pay for your policy. Those engaged in manual labor will pay higher premiums for each unit of coverage than those in professional careers and administrative-type work. Each company maintains an occupational manual into which they have listed many different occupations. Based on this listing, an occupation code will be assigned to that individual and the subsequent rate will be determined accordingly. Once an individual policy is issued, the company cannot change the classification. If you move to a less risk-oriented occupation, you can apply for a classification change and, possibly, a reduction in premium. How long will it take to get a policy issued? The length of time for the issue of a policy will vary depending on the number and nature of additional requirements for that particular case. Companies may wish to acquire medical records for previous medical issues and sometimes this process can take many weeks. Generally, you can expect a disability policy to be issued within four to six weeks. What exclusions are in my policy? Exclusions in disability policies are those situations or events under which the policy will not pay a claim, and are usually few in number. Most often the exclusions apply to disabilities arising as a result of a crime, self-inflicted injuries, war or military action. Be sure to check any DI proposal for these exclusions so you are fully informed as to what is not covered. Protect your Business with Business Overhead Expense Business Overhead Expense insurance assures the business owner will have a business to come back to after recovering from an injury or sickness. Or have a business to sell that has not depreciated if not coming back. Some of the Benefits from Business Overhead Expense Insurance Include: Reimburse the small Business Owner - the fixed expenses of their business Including, Rent, Utilities, Insurance and Employees Salaries. Tax Advantages - Premiums for Business Overhead Expense Insurance are tax deductible to the business. Benefits can be payable after 30 days - benefits can begin after 30, 60 or 90 days. Benefit Update - assures the business owner can increase coverage as his expenses increase with no additional underwriting Residual Benefit - pays a partial benefit if the business owners can only performs some (not all) of their daily duties Key Person Replacement Key Person Replacement is an efficient way to provide successful businesses with the funds necessary to financially handle the loss of a key employee or executive due to a total long-term illness or injury that prevents them from performing their job duties. Benefits can be used at the discretion of the employer, but common uses include: Recruitment and training costs for a sound replacement Indemnify the company for lost revenue and profits Temporary staffing needs Funds can be available to the business in a short as 30 days after an injury or illness of the Key Employee to help keep the business operating smoothly. Benefits can be paid monthly for up to 1 year or until the employee is recovered and back to work full-time. If the Key Employee has not returned after 12 months, a Lump Sum payment can be paid to help recover lost future revenue. Disability Buyout for Business Owners Disability Buy-Out insurance reimburses the Business or Policyholder for the purchase of a totally disabled insured’s interest in the business under a buy-sell agreement. These funds allow you and your partners to: Maximize the financial return when the business is transferred, while minimizing the tax liability. Help the business survive a partner’s departure — allowing remaining owners and their families to receive the full value. Protect the disabled partners value in the business during a difficult time of recovery Benefits can be paid after 365 days of disability in either a lump sum or installments up to 5 years subject to the terms of their buy-sell agreement.

Phishing, Ransomware, and Social Engineering Cybersecurity is more critical than ever. As technology advances, so do the tactics of cybercriminals. From phishing emails that look more convincing than ever to ransomware attacks that can cripple entire organizations, staying informed is the first step to staying secure. This article explores the top cyber threats in 2025 and how to stay protected , providing practical tips you can use at home and in the workplace. 1. Phishing Attacks: Smarter and Harder to Detect Phishing emails and messages are no longer just riddled with spelling mistakes. In 2025, attackers use AI tools to craft convincing, personalized messages that look like they’re from trusted colleagues or companies. How to stay protected: Double-check sender addresses, even if the message looks authentic. Avoid clicking on links directly; hover to preview the URL. Use email filtering tools and multi-factor authentication (MFA). 2. Ransomware: Holding Data Hostage Ransomware attacks continue to rise, targeting individuals, businesses, and even critical infrastructure. Hackers encrypt files and demand payment in cryptocurrency for their release. How to stay protected: Back up important files regularly to an external or cloud-based source. Keep your operating systems and security software updated. Train employees on recognizing suspicious attachments and downloads. 3. Social Engineering: Exploiting Human Trust Instead of attacking systems directly, cybercriminals often target the human element. In 2025, social engineering has become more sophisticated, with attackers using phone calls, fake websites, or impersonation on social media to steal sensitive data. How to stay protected: Be cautious about sharing personal information online. Verify requests for sensitive data, especially if they seem urgent. Encourage a “trust but verify” culture in workplaces. 4. Emerging Threats: Deepfakes and AI-Driven Scams Cybercriminals are now using AI to create deepfake videos or voice messages that mimic real people. These can be used to authorize fraudulent transactions or spread misinformation. How to stay protected: Establish verification protocols that go beyond voice or video. Stay informed on the latest digital fraud tactics. Use security software with AI-detection capabilities. The top cyber threats in 2025 and how to stay protected  all come down to one thing: awareness. By staying vigilant, updating your defenses, and practicing good cyber hygiene, you can reduce your risk and protect both personal and professional data. Cybersecurity isn’t just a technical issue—it’s a human responsibility. Continue Reading: Cybersecurity Awareness Want to learn more about building strong online defenses and promoting safe digital habits? 👉 Read our Cybersecurity Awareness article here »

Practical and Emotional Tips When someone close to you is diagnosed with breast cancer, it can be difficult to know what to say or do. You want to be supportive, but you may also feel overwhelmed or unsure how to help. Providing thoughtful, compassionate support can make a meaningful difference in their journey. 1. Listen First, Speak Second Allow them to share their feelings without interruption. Avoid jumping straight into solutions—sometimes, they just need a listening ear. Phrases like “I’m here for you”  or “That sounds really tough”  can mean more than advice. 2. Practical Ways to Support a Friend or Family Member with Breast Cancer Treatment can be exhausting, and daily responsibilities often become overwhelming. Consider offering: Rides to and from medical appointments. Preparing meals or organizing a meal train with friends. Helping with childcare, pet care, or household chores. Running errands or grocery shopping. 💡 Tip: Be specific. Instead of asking, “What can I do?” , try, “I’m free Thursday—can I take you to your appointment or drop off dinner?” 3. Be Mindful of Their Energy Treatment often causes fatigue, so don’t take it personally if they decline visits or cancel plans. Short, uplifting check-ins (texts, cards, or calls) can show you care without overwhelming them. 4. Respect Their Journey Every person experiences breast cancer differently. Avoid comparing them to others who’ve been through it. Support their choices about treatment, lifestyle, or even how much they want to share publicly. 5. Provide Emotional Encouragement Celebrate milestones, even small ones—finishing a round of treatment, or simply getting through a tough week. Remind them they are more than their diagnosis by engaging in normal activities when possible (watching a movie, chatting about non-cancer topics). 6. Encourage Professional and Peer Support Suggest (without pressuring) resources like support groups, therapists, or wellness programs for cancer patients. Share local or national organizations that offer emotional and practical help. Supporting a loved one with breast cancer means offering both practical assistance  and emotional understanding . By listening, showing up in concrete ways, and respecting their journey, you can help ease their burden and remind them they are not alone. Continue Reading: Breast Cancer Awareness Want to learn more about prevention, early detection, and the latest in breast cancer research?👉 Read our Breast Cancer Awareness article here

Life insurance is one of the most important financial tools for protecting your loved ones, yet it’s often misunderstood. Misconceptions prevent many people from taking the steps they need to secure their family’s future. This Life Insurance Awareness Month , let’s clear up the confusion by debunking the Top 5 Life Insurance Myths . Myth #1: “Life insurance is too expensive.” Fact:  For most people, life insurance is more affordable than they think. Term life insurance, for example, can often cost less than a daily cup of coffee. Premiums are based on age, health, and coverage needs, which means the sooner you purchase, the more affordable it usually is. 💡 Tip: Shop around and compare policies—you may be surprised by how accessible coverage can be. Myth #2: “I’m too young to need life insurance.” Fact:  Life insurance isn’t just for older adults. In fact, purchasing coverage at a younger age can lock in lower premiums  and protect your loved ones if the unexpected happens. It’s also a great way to plan ahead for milestones like buying a home, starting a family, or launching a business. Myth #3: “I don’t need life insurance because I’m healthy.” Fact:  While good health may lower your risk, it doesn’t eliminate life’s uncertainties. Accidents and unforeseen medical conditions can happen to anyone. Being healthy actually makes it the best time to buy —you’ll qualify for better rates and more coverage options. Myth #4: “My employer-provided coverage is enough.” Fact:  Many employer plans only cover 1–2 times your annual salary. That’s rarely enough to cover long-term expenses like mortgages, college tuition, or family living costs. Plus, if you leave your job, you often lose that coverage. Having a personal policy ensures continuity and adequate protection . Myth #5: “Life insurance is only for when you die.” Fact:  Modern life insurance offers much more than a death benefit. Certain policies provide living benefits , like access to cash value, critical illness riders, or supplemental retirement income. Life insurance can be a powerful tool while you’re alive, not just afterward. ✅ Why Understanding Life Insurance Matters Life insurance doesn’t have to be complicated, expensive, or something you put off until later. By debunking these common myths, we hope you see it as an essential part of protecting your family and building financial security . 👉 This Life Insurance Awareness Month, take a moment to review your coverage or start exploring your options—it’s one of the smartest financial decisions you can make.