AAA Membership

Any Car, Anytime, Anywhere

From changing flat tires roadside to jumping batteries in your driveway, AAA Roadside Assistance can help get you on your way. AAA is the nation’s most comprehensive service provider. A simple phone call or online request is all it takes to bring help to your disabled vehicle. As a member, you’re covered in any car — whether you are the driver or passenger.

Services Provided

• Battery Boost
• Battery Replacement (available in most major metropolitan areas)
• Emergency Repair Check Acceptance
• Extrication & Winching
• Fuel Delivery Service
• Minor Mechanical First Aid
• One-Day Free Car Rental
• Tire Service
• Towing
• Vehicle Lock-Out Services

View and Download Roadside Assistance Forms

View More Roadside Assistance

Accident Coverage

It's a way to stay ahead of the medical and out-of-pocket expenses that add up so quickly after an accidental injury - not just for emergency treatment, hospital stays and medical exams, but for other expenses you may face, such as transportation and lodging needs.

When you have a covered accident, we'll send cash benefits directly to you (unless you tell us otherwise) and you decide the best way to spend them. It's as simple as that.

You'll receive cash benefits for these and other expenses that may not be fully covered by your major medical insurance:

• Ambulance, ground and air
• Broken teeth
• Concussions
• Emergency room visits
• Intensive care unit confinement
• Lacerations

Agriculture Business Insurance

As a commercial agribusiness owner, you expect your insurance program and carrier to know your industry and protect your business with coverage's designed for its unique risk exposures.

Positioned to write integrated operations, up and down the agricultural food chain, Insurance Brokers is aligned with the top Agri Business insurance companies in the industry that have the experience and expertise in insuring agricultural related risks. Together, we serve modern agricultural operations by adding value and utilizing best management practices. Together we specialize in understanding the insurance needs of commercial farming and agricultural businesses, and will work with you and your agent to design a property and liability package that encompasses your entire operation.

Commercial Agriculture Businesses We Serve

We provide insurance solutions to a wide range of agriculture businesses. Here are some of the business types we currently serve:

• Animal Slaughtering and Processing (egg, poultry, etc.)
• Beet Sugar Manufacturing
• Canneries (fish, seafood, fruits, vegetables)
• Confectionary Manufacturing and Wholesalers
• Dairy Product (except dried or canned) Merchant Wholesalers
• Dairy Product Manufacturing (milk, eggs, cheese, butter)
• Dried/Dehydrated Food Manufacturing
• Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
• Fertilizer Dealers and Distributors with Custom Mixing
• Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers
• Flower, Nursery Stock and Florist Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
• Food Distributors and Processors
• Frozen Fruit Juices and Food
• Fruit and Vegetable Merchant Dealers
• Fruit and Tree Nut Farming (orchards, roasted nuts and peanut butter processing)
• Fruit and Vegetable Packing
• Meat Packing Plants
• Milk Haulers
• Mills (Animal Feed Manufacturing, Feed Mills, Flour Milling, Grain)
• Nursery, Garden Center and Farm Supply Stores
• Seafood Processing and Packaging
• Seed Merchants
• Sod Farms
• Soybean Processing
• Support Activities for Animal Production (breeding services for animals - AI, etc., dairy herd improvement activities, livestock spraying, and sheep dipping and shearing)
• Veterinary Services (livestock services)
• Wineries

Horse Insurance

Whether you operate several horse farms or simply own a few horses for pleasure, the everyday care of your animals should be your top priority, not worrying if your horse insurance coverage has you properly protected.

We customize a policy that meets your property and liability needs..

Property

• Farm dwelling
• Household personal property
• Equine equipment
• Horses
• Tacking equipment
• Farm personal property
• Outbuildings

Liability

• Equine liability insurance
• Horse farm operations liability insurance
• Personal liability insurance

Additional Specialty Options Available

Equine Expanded Property Insurance Determine if additional coverage is needed to meet the specific needs of your eligible equine operations, including:

• Tack and equine equipment of others located on the insured location
• Field and pasture fences
• Private power and light poles, wiring and attachments
• Removal and replacement of arena footing
• Remove and replacement of bedding material

Equine Activities Liability Insurance Increase the protection of your insurance policy to cover the risks exposures created by the activities of your stable, riding center or other venue.

Animal Care, Custody and Control Liability Endorsement Provides legal liability coverage due to death, injury or theft of non-owned horses in your care

Annuities

If you're looking ahead to your retirement years, you may want to consider an annuity as part of your overall strategy. Annuities were designed to help you save, grow and protect your retirement assets, as well as provide a stream of steady income payments that will last as long as you live.

Here are the three main types of annuities. We offer products with the top companies in the insurance industry.

Variable Annuities

• Give your assets the potential to grow if the market goes up
• Help protect your retirement income if the market goes down
• Offer the flexibility to start and stop withdrawals whenever you want
• Provide lifetime income

Fixed Annuities

• Keep your principal safe and secure
• Provide predictable, guaranteed interest rates
• Offer lifetime income

Income Annuities

• Increase your spending power by creating more income using fewer assets
• Maximize and protect your income by avoiding market fluctuations
• Help cover basic expenses by providing a guaranteed income stream for life
• Enable you to spend other assets on the things you enjoy

Automobile Insurance

Auto Insurance isn't just a good thing to have to protect you financially in the case of an accident - in many states it's required.

All of the Insurance companies we represent provide a wide range of auto Insurance products at a fair price. Your price gets even better if you qualify for any of our available discounts. When applying for auto Insurance, you're usually asked whether you want collision and/or comprehensive coverage, how high you want your deductible to be, what liability limits you want, and whether you want any types of optional coverage. Make sure you understand what these terms mean and how much coverage is right for you.

• Standard and Preferred auto Insurance
• High Risk auto Insurance
• Classic autos / High Valued autos
• Special program for Mature/Elderly Drivers
• Discounts that are available
• Recreational vehicles / Boats

Coverage Options

• Collision and Comprehensive (other than collision) coverages

  Collision and Comprehensive (other than collision) coverages pay for damage to your automobile. You can purchase either or both of these coverages for each vehicle you own. If you have an auto loan you may be required to purchase both.

  • Collision coverage insures you against damage to your vehicle caused during an accident.
  • Comprehensive (other than collision) coverage insures you against all other physical damage to your car caused by such events as fire, theft, flood, and vandalism.

  Collision and comprehensive (other than collision) coverage usually includes a deductible, which can range from $100 to $1,000. If your car is damaged, the Insurance company pays only for the damage in excess of the deductible you selected. The higher the deductible, the lower the premium.

• Liability coverage

  Liability coverage pays for injuries you cause to other people and damage you cause to other people's property when you are at fault in an automobile accident.

• Medical Payments coverage

  Medical Payments coverage pays medical expenses (up to a specified dollar limit) for you and passengers of your car who are injured in an automobile accident, no matter who is at fault. If you and your passengers have health Insurance, you may not need this coverage.

• Personal Injury Protection

  Some states require Personal Injury Protection, which is also known as No-Fault coverage. This coverage pays for things like medical and rehabilitative expenses, replacement services, and funeral expenses. It also pays for loss of income if you are injured in an auto accident and are unable to work.

• Uninsured/Under insured Motorist coverage

  This coverage pays if you are injured by a person who is completely uninsured or doesn't have enough liability Insurance to cover your injuries. It also covers you if you are in an accident with a hit-and-run driver.

• Optional coverage

  Optional or special coverage includes extras such as towing, rental reimbursement, and roadside assistance. None of these coverages are required.

• How much do I need?

  Choosing the appropriate level of auto Insurance coverage depends on a number of factors, including assets you must protect (liability coverage), value of your vehicle (collision and comprehensive), the amount of money you can afford to pay out-of-pocket (deductible), and your tolerance for risk.

Business Insurance

Choosing the right business or commercial insurance plan for your business can be very confusing, so we have developed many different options and programs to meet the needs of our commercial insurance clients in Buffalo, MN.

At Insurance Brokers of MN, we can design a specialized package according to your property, liability, and casualty needs. We are also proactive in identifying any factors that may increase your premiums or change your risk, and provide consulting and risk management options to protect your business.

Whether you are a retailer, wholesaler, contractor, or electrician, we can tailor a package to meet your specific needs and requirements. So give us a call today or fill out one of our free online quote forms.

Our Business Insurance services include:

• Business Owners Packages (BOP)
• Workers Compensation
• Commercial Auto
• Group Health
• Personalized comprehensive insurance program & Risk Management analysis - protecting your company and its assets requires understanding of coverages.
• Claims history analysis - claims control is key to reducing premium cost.
• Annual insurance audit reviews & Work Comp experience modification reviews.
• Free loss control and prevention services - these free services help reduce the chance of loss.
• Business continuation planning - create a strategy to protect your business assets for the future.

Cancer Insurance

No one wants to experience a cancer diagnosis, but the fact is that the risk of getting cancer is great. In the United States, men have slightly less than a one in two lifetime risk of developing cancer; for women, the risk is a little more than one in three (Cancer Facts and Figures 2009, American Cancer Society). Our insurance policy is designed to provide you with the best benefits during covered cancer treatments. A cancer/specified-disease insurance policy can also help protect your income and savings from expenses that aren't covered by your major medical health insurance policy.

Our Cancer Insurance services include:

• Business Owners Packages (BOP)
• Workers Compensation
• Commercial Auto
• Group Health

Classic and Collector Car Insurance

We're just like you… We love talking about and sharing our love for collector cars. We follow the collector car hobby very closely and know the restoration business too.

Coverage geared to the collector.

Your car deserves specialized coverage such as Guaranteed Value. A Guaranteed, or Agreed Value policy means you will receive the full value of your vehicle back* if you experience a total loss. We offer coverage for vehicles during the restoration process and also for additional spare parts and tools.

Our service and support is unmatched.

We're here for you! We understand the classic car claim procedure and offer 24-hour-a-day, 365-days-a-year service to ensure that you and your investment receive the expert, personalized service you require.

Why Choose us?

• Agreed Value Coverage

  In the event of a total loss of your classic car or collector car, you're guaranteed a check for the full agreed valued.

• Flexible Usage

  Drive your car! You should be able to enjoy your classic car with comfortable mileage limits.

• Repair Shop of Choice

  In the event of a claim, we'll let you choose your repair shop.

• No Deductible

  If you have a claim, you pay nothing! (in most states)

• Lower Cost

  Our rates are among the lowest around for complete coverage.

• Easy Claim Service

  Claims are handled quickly and knowledgeably by experts in collector cars.

We can insure the following:

• Antique Fire Trucks
• Antique Military Vehicles
• Antique Tractors
• Antiques
• Classics
• Customs
• Exotics
• Modern Classics
• Muscle Cars
• Street Rods
• Vintage Motorcycles
• And much much more!

Commercial Auto Coverage

You need commercial auto coverage if you or your employees will use titled vehicles in their work. Many small-business owners believe that if their car is in their personal name then commercial coverage is not necessary and their personal auto policy will cover the auto. This is not true. Most personal auto policies exclude from coverage the use of a vehicle for commercial purposes.

Now, it is true that the exclusion applies if the vehicle is being used primarily for commercial purposes. And some ill-informed advisors/agents will advise small-business owners that such a policy is not necessary.

The last thing you will want to do is argue with your insurer over whether your automobile was used more for personal use or business use. If you use any titled vehicles in your business, then purchase this coverage. In my opinion, the risk of a serious auto accident wiping out a small business far exceeds the premiums paid for the coverage and this is not the place to save premiums.

A commercial auto policy does the same thing as your personal auto policy. It provides coverage to repair or replace a vehicle damaged in an accident and it will pay the claims of any third-party injured in the accident.

You should purchase non-owned auto coverage as well. This coverage will provide coverage to the business when employees use their personal vehicles for the business. It will also provide coverage whenever the business makes use of vehicles it does not own. This includes your car

Workers Compensation Insurance

If your business has employees, you will need workers’ compensation insurance.

Workers’ compensation is a system set up by the state to insure all employees in the state in case of a work place injury. Under common law, the master (employer) is responsible for the injuries that occur to their servant (employee). Before workers’ compensation an employee could sue an employer for their injuries on the job. The employer could defend against the suit by showing the employee was negligent or not doing their job at the time of the injury. Understandably, this system led to a good deal of litigation – none of it benefiting workers, their families, or their employers.

Over time, states set up a system of insurance where all employers were required to participate and in return employees were no longer entitled to bring a law suit for their injuries. Instead, employees submit claims to the insurer and the claims are paid.

By law, you will be required to participate in workers’ compensation. There are exceptions, but the exceptions are few. The exceptions also differ by the state you do business in. As a general rule, if you are self-employed, you do not need to have workers’ compensation insurance. However, you can opt in as a self-employed business person.

When you start in your business your premiums will be based on the claims experience of your particular industry. Claims experience is a historical set of data kept over time which statistically predicts the number of injuries (claims) that are likely to occur in an industry. The roofing business and construction contractors typically have the highest claims experience and workers’ compensation premiums are higher for those businesses. Businesses where there is less chance of injury have lower premiums.

After a few years your business will be rated on its claims experience. Typically this rating process will penalize your business with higher premiums for higher than average claims and reward your business with lower premiums for lower than average claims.

Most states also have voluntary employer training/safety programs that can lower premiums. Some states allow businesses to become self-insured by retaining private insurance outside of the workers’ compensation scheme.

If you will have employees, you will need this insurance by law. In a properly constructed business insurance plan, the premiums for workers’ compensation insurance should be considered first and a budget for premiums for other types of insurance considered only after this legally mandated insurance is considered.

Commercial Property Insurance

Property insurance insures your business against loss or damage to the location of the business and to its contents. It will also insure against loss or damage to contents under your control. Finally, if your business rents or leases a location or travels to other physical locations, then your business will be required by the property owner to carry property insurance by the terms of the lease or contract.

The more kinds of loss the policy covers, the higher the premium. Property insurance comes in two forms:

• Broad Form

  This type of policy identifies a number of different types of disasters and covers against loss from all identified causes in the policy.

• Single or Specific Peril

  This type of policy insures against loss only from the identified peril. This is typically a separate fire policy. However, other single perils can be insured against, for example, terrorism. For most small businesses, a broad form property insurance policy is included in a packaged policy known as the business owners’ policy and will be the best coverage for the premium dollar. Some businesses, however, either because of specific risks or unusually high risk, may not be eligible for such a package. In that case, several specific peril policies may need to priced and examined. Property insurance policies can be modified:

  • Endorsements

    Endorsements add increased coverage or identify other business locations that are covered. This can include a customer location, for example, if your business is working at their location. Endorsements are a big benefit for your business and can be added, typically by a phone call, to a policy relatively easily if you have a good insurance professional.

  • Exclusions

    Exclusions take away coverage. Your insurance professional or insurer will tell you that property policies are always written with the such-and-such exclusion. Exclusions are the business insurance purchaser worst enemy. The most recent example is after the hurricanes in 2004-2005. Many insurers claimed that the exclusion in their policies for wind damage excluded much of the damage from coverage. Regardless of what an insurer tells you: exclusions take away coverage.

  • Schedules

    Schedules are lists of covered locations and property. These must be updated regularly and at any time a location or major covered equipment changes or is purchased. Good insurance professionals will contact you on a regular basis to discuss updating scheduled locations and equipment. If a location or piece of equipment is not a scheduled location or content, there is a possibility that a claim could be denied on that basis.

    Property insurance can pay damages or loss based on one of two ways:

  • Actual Cash Value (or, ACV)

    Actual cash value means that your loss or damage is valued at the value of the property loss. Sounds fair. But, if a $100,000 car lift in your garage has been depreciated over a five-year period it may be found to have an ACV of $20,000 at the time of loss. You can’t purchase a new lift for $20,000.

  • Replacement Value

    Replacement value means that you are reimbursed the actual amount necessary to replace the equipment when it is lost. In the example above, if the new lift costs $120,000 to replace, then you get a new lift for $120,000.

    Replacement value coverage typically carries higher premiums.

    All of the above elements must be considered when reviewing and comparing property insurance for your business. A comparison made only on the premiums ignores critical aspects of the policy.

Condo / Condominium Insurance

Contents coverage is basic. A limit is selected $75,000 for example, based on the value of your contents to replace your things for damages arising from perils named in your policy such as fire, water damage, theft, explosion, and more. There is a deductible usually $500 or a $1000. In a superior policy coverage is provided in a way that allows you to replace your lost property with new items, without depreciation.(Note: Most policies provide depreciated value or almost nothing for most clothing and furniture unless those items are quite new). Replacement Cost Coverage; i.e., new for old is preferred.

There are specific limits on the theft of certain types of property such as jewelry, money and securities, watercraft, etc. It may be preferable to schedule specifically your valuables and collectables. There is a credit card coverage up to $10,000 is available.

Additions and Alterations coverage protects any additions, alterations, and improvements you make to your unit, for up to 10% of your contents limit. This coverage can be increased.

Unit assessment coverage pays up to $50,000 for your share of an assessment charged against all unit owners as a result of a covered loss.

Loss of Use is an extra expense you incur while staying at a temporary location if your condo becomes uninhabitable. While most policies allow a limited dollar amount for this coverage, our program is UNLIMITED.

Add up the value of all your belongings. You're probably looking at thousands of dollars. Could you afford to replace your property if it were stolen during a break-in or damaged during a fire?

Whether you rent a house or an apartment, protect your possessions with renters insurance from Insurance Brokers of MN, and you could end up saving thousands.

The landlord of your apartment has insurance, but it probably only covers the building where you live � not your belongings or your liability for accidents. If your possessions are stolen during a break-in or damaged by a fire or severe weather, a renters insurance policy will allow you to recover their value. If someone is injured during an accident in your home, renters insurance will help protect you in the case a liability lawsuit.

Crop Insurance

Insurance Brokers of MN offers a variety of federal crop and crop hail insurance products to help meet your specific needs:

• Actual Production History (APH)
• Adjusted Gross Revenue Lite (AGR)
• Catastrophic Coverage (CAT)
• Companion Hail
• Corn and Soybean Replant Endorsement
• Corn, Seed Corn and Sweet Corn Green Snap or Wind Coverage
• Cotton Module
• Field Grain Fire
• Freeze Date Extension Endorsement
• Germination Coverage for Hybrid Seed Corn
• Group Risk Income Protection (GRIP)
• Group Risk Income Protection with Harvest Revenue Option (GRIP HRO)
• Group Risk Protection (GRP)
• Hay Fire
• Hybrid Seed Corn Company
• Hybrid Seed Corn Coverage
• Hybrid Seed Corn Endorsement
• Hybrid Seed Corn Green Snap or Wind Coverage
• Increased Germination Endorsement
• Pasture, Rangeland, Forage (PRF)
• Production Plan Hail Endorsement
• Rain Insurance
• Reject Coverage
• Replant Extra Endorsement
• Revenue Protection (RP)
• RP with Harvest Price Exclusion (RP HPE)
• Yield Protection (YP)

Directors and Officers Liability Insurance

Directors and Officers Liability Insurance (often called D&O) is liability insurance payable to the directors and officers of a company, or to the organization(s) itself, to cover damages or defense costs in the event they suffer such losses as a result of a lawsuit for alleged wrongful acts while acting in their capacity as directors and officers for the organization. Such coverage can extend to defense costs arising out of criminal and regulatory investigations/trials as well; in fact, often civil and criminal actions are brought against directors/officers simultaneously. It has become closely associated with broader management liability insurance, which covers liabilities of the corporation as well as the personal liabilities for the directors and officers of the corporation.

A common misperception of D&O insurance is that it makes directors or officers able to engage in acts they know to be wrong; this is not the case. Intentional illegal acts or any illegal gains/profits obtained by directors/officers are not covered under most D&O insurance policies; coverage would only extend to "wrongful acts" as defined under the policy, which may include certain acts, omissions, misstatements while acting as a director/officer of the organization. Exclusionary language, however, would not provide coverage for fraud, illegal profits/gains, or intentional/wanton illegal conduct by such director/officer (as examples).

In contemporary times (particularly in the U.S.), directors and officers (especially those most sought out by shareholders due to their ability to produce results) are intimately concerned with a company's directors & officers liability insurance program. Under state law, their personal assets are at risk (not to mention their hard-earned reputation). Thus, companies with quality D&O insurance coverage are the most suited to attract the best directors and officers to serve the corporation. Ultimately, it is a cost/benefit analysis...you get what you pay for.

Disability Insurance

Most people don't realize the risk of becoming disabled, permanently or temporarily, at some point in their lives. But the reality is that at age 40, your chances of becoming disabled for 90 days or more prior to age 65 is 43%. (Source: 2004 Field Guide, National Underwriter)

How would you...

• Pay your bills?
• Make your monthly rent or mortgage loan payments?
• Buy your groceries?
• Make your car payments?
• Provide for your children's education?
• Save for retirement?

When evaluating the chances of disability, you should carefully consider sources of available funds:

Coverage Options

• Employer coverage

  How long would the business continue to pay you? How much would they pay you? When would your employer have to hire a replacement? Could the business afford to pay both?

• Using savings

  If you saved 10% of your income each year, one year of total disability could wipe out 10 years of savings. Can you afford that?

• Obtaining a loan

  Without an income, who will lend you money?

• Working Spouse or Partner

  Can your spouse or partner earn enough and be a companion, parent, private nurse, and employee - all at the same time?

• Selling investments

  Will a sale under forced conditions bring a true value? What will their value be at the time you are disabled?

• Collecting Social Security

  You cannot collect benefits until the end of the fifth full calendar month of total disability and only if it is expected to last 12 months or more. What will you do if your disability doesn't meet those requirements? Even if it does, can you wait six months for payment?

• Counting on friends, family or charity

  Would these sources have funds for you to use? Do you want to depend on them?

  Many different disability insurance products are available to help protect you and your family against severe financial hardship that may accompany a disability.

Employee Benefits

• Disability

  We can offer group disability insurance protection to employees through their employers. While you can't avoid the risk of disability, you can be prepared.

• Dental

  Insurance Brokers offers group dental benefit plans that help employees, retirees and their families maintain oral health while reducing out-of-pocket expenses and providing the superior customer service and features they value.

• Auto and Home

  Insurance Brokers can offer group auto and home with Met Life Auto & Home® is the leading provider of employer-sponsored group property and casualty insurance. Whether you need auto, home, or boat insurance, Met Life Auto & Home works with your company to offer some of the best products available.

• Life Insurance

  Insurance Brokers offers group life provided through employers—offers employees a variety of life insurance coverage, conversion and portability options.

• Critical Illness Insurance

  Critical illness insurance from various different companies supplement plans your current medical insurance and can provide a lump-sum payment if you are diagnosed with a serious illness such as cancer, heart attack, or stroke.

A few of the companies we work through:

• AFLAC
• Colonial Life
• Met Life
• Illinois Mutual
• Principal Insurance Company
• And many more

Employment Practices Liability

Employment practices liability insurance or "EPLI" is liability insurance that covers certain employment related claims made by employees. For example,if a manager harasses or discriminates against an employee (or is alleged to have done so), EPLI will provide a defense and possibly claim payment on behalf of the business.

Into day's world this is critical coverage to have if you have employees or if you have employees working with the public or on site at other businesses. Such coverage can also protect the business owner from merit less claims brought by disgruntled employees. Even though as business owners we strive to be fair and non-discriminatory, old habits die hard, age and gender gaps lead to miscommunication, and Applicators can serve as a last line of defense against employment claims.

EPLIpolicies and coverage is less standardized than other forms of coverage. Sometimes EPLI coverage is bundled in a business owner's policy or as a part of other liability insurance. It may also be a separate coverage or endorsement. For your business insurance plan you will want to discuss EPLI coverage with an insurance professional who understands your business. This article is only intended as an overview and cannot substitute for a thorough analysis of your business and business practices.

EPLI coverage generally covers:

• Workplace Harassment
• Workplace Discrimination
• Wrongful Discharge
• Emotional Distress
• Possibly Privacy-Based Claims
• Possibly Reputation Claims (Defamation)

This coverage is a bit complicated. It is a legal maxim that a company cannot insure against intentional injuries. Otherwise, the fear is that companies would disregard public safety (auto manufacturers would buy insurance instead of installing seat belts, for example). But, Applicators does, in some respects, cover intentional injury. The idea is the coverage protects against intentional injuries done by employees without the business' consent or knowledge. Therefore, EPLI does not cover "institutional" employee injuries or those injuries caused by the company as opposed to by individual managers or employees. In most EPLIpolicies the distinction is made by excluding coverage for violations oft he law.

EPLI policies generally exclude coverage for:

• Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) Violations
• Fair Labor Standards Act Violations
• State Employment Law Violations
• Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) Violations
• Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) Violations
• Certain Americans With Disabilities Act Claims
• Intentional Institutional Claims (such as retaliating against a whistle blower)
• Punitive Damages

The terms of EPLI coverage included in a packaged policy can be very different than the terms of the general liability policy. EPLI coverage will often be coverage where settlement costs and legal fees are both considered in the policy limits. That is, for every dollar spent defending a claim, less money is available to settle the claim. Some policies will possess a strong "hammer clause" where the business is forced to settle even merit less claims if the insurer decides to settle with the claimant. In the alternative, some policies give the business owner the right to hire their own counsel and require business owner permission to settle any claim.

Applicators will need to be tailored to every state where the business has operations. The business may need additional endorsements to cover operations in some states that have very strong employee protection laws.

Finally,EPLI coverage should be a last line of defense. Proper risk management and business insurance planning for your business will include training. Diversity and sensitivity training must be part of that training. The U. S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is a phenomenal website with free training resources, guides,compliance information, and links to free training throughout the U.S. This is a risk that can be insured, but with a small time investment it can be substantially reduced.

Errors & Omission Insurance

What is errors and omissions insurance?

Accusations of negligence or the failure to perform your professional services are things that any professional services business can be sued for, even if it hasn't made a mistake. You should seriously consider E & O insurance if your business:

• provides a professional service.
• regularly gives advice.
• required by its clients to have E & O insurance.

We specialize in errors and omissions insurance (E & O insurance), also can be known as professional liability insurance. If you have a professional services business with or without employees having errors and omissions insurance coverage can be an integral part of protecting your business.

Excess Liability Coverage

Often called umbrella — is an important addition to your insurance portfolio. A personal excess policy provides you with additional protection for damages in which you or members of your household may be legally liable. (In our litigious society) this policy helps to protect you and your loved ones against the cost of those damages which might appear to be minor–such as a fender bender–but actually end up being costly over time. That minor accident could turn into a lawsuit for the ongoing back or neck problems of the other driver.

An Umbrella or Excess liability policy provides you with additional limits of liability over and above both your Home owners or Auto policies allowing you the peace of mind that your assets are protected.

Farm Insurance

We can customize a farm insurance or agribusiness insurance plan you can depend on - a plan that protects your farm home, buildings, machinery, equipment and livestock. And you can round out your plan with liability protection from a variety of optional coverage’s. Whether you're actively farming or a tenant, one policy does it all.

Here are a few of the farm package coverage’s available to you:

• Replacement coverage for the dwelling and qualified buildings
• Direct physical loss to farm machinery and equipment, including collision and overturn
• Cab glass breakage
• Extended coverage for livestock, including electrocution, drowning, accidental shooting, collapse of buildings, etc.
• Business interruption including loss of income
• Livestock suffocation (with inspection approval)
• Damage to property of others caused by an employee
• Custom farming
• Milk contamination
• Limited farm chemical application coverage
• Borrowed farm machinery

Flood Insurance

Flood insurance protects your valuables from rising waters while floods can cause major destruction, the damage caused by floods is not covered by standard Homeowners insurance. That's why Insurance Brokers offers flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program thru various insurance companies. A flood insurance policy provides the specialized coverage you need to help protect your home, condo or business from rising waters.

Flood policies can provide coverage for:

• Flood damage to your home's structure as well as items like your furnace and water heater
• Flood damage to your furniture, rugs, appliances, and clothing (with limitations for basement areas)
• Expenses you incur to protect your home against imminent flood damage by sandbagging or other measures
• Clean-up costs for covered items after a flood, including debris removal

Affordable options

Flood insurance may not be as expensive as you might think, and the benefits of coverage can vastly outweigh the costs of repairs and replacements. Properties located in low to moderate risk zones, may be eligible for a Preferred Risk Policy (PRP), a low cost option that will allow property owners and businesses to protect themselves against the devastating effects of flooding.

There when you need us

If your home, condo or personal property is damaged due to flooding, rest assured that we have the people, resources, and services to resolve your claim quickly and professionally. A flood insurance policy typically has a 30 day waiting period before the policy can become effective.

Real Life Flood Stories

See how flood insurance has helped customers recover their losses. Watch video.

How much can flood damage cost you?

Use this interactive flood damage cost calculator to estimate common flood-related expenses.

Assess your flood risk

Floods are the most common natural disaster in the United States. Are you at risk?

Golf Cart Insurance

Golf carts are primarily designed for transportation from one green to the next, but you might be one of the many people who uses your golf cart as a means to travel around your gated community, retirement park or condo complex.

Whether you use them off-road or on, proper insurance can help you protect your golf cart. Your homeowners policy might not cover you if you ride off your own property. That's why specialized golf cart insurance is especially important.

Choose golf cart insurance for your golf cart — whether it's gas or electric — and receive far-reaching coverage and specialized claims service. We provide coverage for virtually any noncommercial purpose and location. The following golf cart insurance coverage is available.

• Accessory Coverage
• Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability
• Comprehensive
• Collision
• Roadside Assistance
• Transport Trailer Coverage

Group Health Insurance

Group health insurance is essentially insurance provided to members of a group at a discounted rate by insurers. The insurers are able to provide this coverage at a discount because they're taking on a pool of insureds that they can spread the risk out among.

For many employers, group health insurance is perhaps the most important fringe benefit they offer because its advantageous tax-wise to both employers and employees. Employers benefit because they get a tax deduction for offering coverage. Employees benefit because compensation their employers provide them with to meet premiums is untaxed. Employer-based group health insurance has a broad reach. About 60 percent of Americans with private health coverage receive it from an employer-based group health insurance plan.

Unfortunately, anywhere from between 10 and 40 million Americans have no coverage at all, government provided or private health insurance. In recent years there have been some trends in the group health insurance field that have contributed to the number of uninsured and, unchecked, may result in even greater numbers of uninsured.

According to studies, there have been several countervailing trends with regard to the availability and actual usage of employer-provided group health insurance. The number of companies offering coverage have increased, but the rate of people eligible for coverage and the rate of people who take their employers up on the offer has decreased.

Between 1996 and 2002, the rate of employers offering group health insurance coverage increased from 86.5 percent to 88.3 percent. However, the rate of employees eligible for coverage dipped by nearly five percent, and the number of people enrolled in employer-sponsored group health insurance also dropped by almost seven percent. For our purposes, the offer rate is the number of people who work where insurance is offered, the eligibility rate is the number of employees eligible for insurance and the enrollment rate is the number of people enrolled in an employer provided group health insurance plan.

While it may seem odd that the offer rate has risen while the eligibility rate has fallen, further study shows that while the number of employers offering insurance has grown, the number of employees eligible to get it has dipped because a growing number of firms are decreasing their number of full time employees and increasing the number of part-timers. At many businesses, part time employees are ineligible for employer-provided health insurance.

The substantial dip in the number of employees opting to buy into employer-provided health plans can be explained by the rising cost of insurance premiums. According to recent studies, while wages have stagnated for about a decade the cost of health insurance coverage has risen greatly in the same period of time. For example, between the years of 1996 and 2002, the cost of the average insurance premium rose 65 percent. While many employers have increased their contributions to help offset the rise, even these contribution increases have not absorbed all the financial impact of rising premium costs.

Another factor in decreasing employee participation in employer-provided group health insurance coverage is growing availability of Medicare and Medicaid. In recent years more of the working poor have qualified for coverage in federal health insurance programs, perhaps contributing to declining participation in employer-provided health insurance. While more people are being covered under these plans, they have not substantially contributed to a decrease in the number of uninsured, which remains high.

According to recent studies, the people most likely to be without coverage from an employer-based group health insurance plan include Hispanics, older working women, young workers and workers in small businesses.

The rising cost of health coverage has impacted the ability of small businesses to offer affordable health coverage to employees. In general, small businesses may be able to offer health coverage to employees, but they are unable to contribute as much to their employees' coverage as larger companies. This is a disturbing trend for public health advocates, as most new jobs being generated come from small businesses.

Overall, the rising cost of health insurance poses problems for both employers and employees. Employers must raise prices, reduce staff or freeze contributions to benefits to keep pace with costs and employees are left to decide whether coverage is worth the substantial financial sacrifice they must make to obtain coverage. Without comprehensive reform of health care, this problem is likely to continue to worsen. Attempts at health care reform from both the right (tort reform) and left (single payer) have run into brick walls erected from partisan and special interest groups.

Health Insurance

Get free individual health insurance quotes 24/7. Insurance Brokers of MN allows you to conveniently receive a FREE HEALTH INSURANCE QUOTE online, but remember, you are never under any obligation.

Your health care needs and preferences will dictate the type of plan that is best for you and your family. There are a variety of health coverage types from which to choose, including PPO, HMO, Health Savings Accounts, and Indemnity plans. Researching the various types of coverage is a critical step before buying a policy to ensure you are getting what you need.

Selecting individual health insurance is an important decision, but it doesn't necessarily have to be difficult. Insurance Brokers of MN can help make the process quicker and easier by providing the information you need to choose a plan, and quote comparisons allowing you to find the best rates.

Are you currently covered? Get health insurance quote comparisons from multiple carriers to see if you can get the same, or better coverage for less money. You could save hundreds a year by shopping around, and it only takes a few minutes.

Home Owners Insurance

The coverage you have depends upon the type of policy you have. Unlike auto insurance, where the policies are pretty much the same, homeowners policies can be quite different, depending on the "form" number. The most common types of homeowner policies are:

• HO1 Basic or Standard policy
• HO2 Broad form
• HO3 Special (also called Deluxe, All Risk)
• HO4 Renters policy
• HO6 Condo policy
• HO8 Older Home Policies

All homeowner policies are "package" policies. You get a group of coverages packaged into your policy for one overall premium. They include coverage on your building, your contents (furniture, clothing, etc.) and liability insurance in case you are sued, under the same policy. The property coverage is shown under Section 1, while the liability coverage is described under Section 2.

There is no better way to understand your homeowner policy than to read it! We suggest you pull out your policy and find the parts to your policy that correspond to the following explanations.

A typical policy consists of three things:

1. The Declarations Page - that declares who, what and how much you are insuring, along with the date your coverage starts and the premium.
2. The Policy Booklet - printed pages that contain the details of coverages and exclusions.
3. Endorsements - separate pages, usually with endorsement numbers, that change (or endorse) specific parts of the policy.

Sometimes you are only given the original policy once in the beginning, then on renewal, to cut down expenses, you are just sent the Dec... page (declaration page) with the bill. It's a good idea to save the original policies should you ever need to refer to them.

More detailed information:

The HO1 policy is very limited in coverage and is not being sold by most companies. The HO2 policy covers the basic perils of fire, lightning, explosion, smoke, hail, aircraft, riot, glass breakage, theft and damage caused by vehicles. It also adds additional coverage to broaden your policy. Those perils include damage caused by rupture of your water or heating pipes, falling objects (such as trees), collapse of the building, limited to electrical damage to appliances and others.

The HO3 policy is, by far, the most commonly sold policy. It covers everything the HO2 policy covers and more. Instead of listing the perils that are covered these policies cover all damage to the building except what is excluded. The usual exclusions are: wear and tear, termites, rotting, collapse of septic tank, flood, war, earthquake and a few others.

Some HO3 policies are referred to as "Deluxe" , "Special" , "All Risk" policies depending upon the company.

Most policies cover your contents or belongings only for the perils named in an HO2 policy so wear and tear and normal breakage is not covered for your furniture and personal belongings. Be careful! Your homeowner policy limits coverage on some items.

To keep the cost of insurance down your policy probably has limits on certain items. Typical limits are:

• Cash - $200
• Jewelry - $1,000
• Firearms - $2,500
• Silverware - $2,500

Check your policy carefully. If you see you don't have enough coverage, find out how much it would cost to increase those limits or to buy special coverage.

Optional Coverage

In addition to special coverage for jewelry, silverware and furs, you can purchase specific coverage for such possessions as stamp or coin collections, fine arts, camera equipment, collectibles, watercraft and musical instruments, just to name a few.

Hospital Confinement Indemnity Insurance

No matter how good your medical insurance is, when you're hospitalized for an injury or illness there will probably be medical expenses and out of pocket costs that are’t covered. A hospital confinement indemnity insurance policy provides cash benefits to use as you see fit. The benefits are predetermined and paid regardless of any other insurance you have, and you have a choice of applying for basic to extensive hospitalization insurance. Whether you want a plan that provides hospitalization benefits only, or one that also addresses diagnostic procedures, outpatient surgery and ambulance transportation.

• No deductibles
• Increased benefit amount for the first five days of hospitalization
• HSA compatible policies are available
• We don't use networks, so you can be treated at the hospital of your choice
• No pre certification
• You own your policy, so even if you change jobs or retire, you can take it with you.

Identity Theft

What Is Identity Theft Anyway?

Identity theft occurs when someone uses your personal information, such as your Social Security number, name or credit card number, without your permission, to commit fraud or other crimes. A thief could take out a mortgage in your name or commit a crime and pretend to be you when caught. Thieves can even use your personal information to apply for a job or use your medical insurance!

Individual Retirement Account (IRA)

Save for retirement with a IRA

Contributing to an IRA—or Individual Retirement Account—is a great way to supplement your 401k (or other employer-sponsored retirement plan) if you have one; if you don't, an IRA can be key to your retirement savings efforts. Like many employer-sponsored retirement savings plans, an IRA can offer valuable tax advantages, such as tax-deductible contributions and tax-deferred growth of your savings.

An IRA makes sense for you if you want to:

• Help secure your retirement with tax-advantaged savings
• Save more than the maximum allowed by your company-sponsored retirement savings plan
• Have the flexibility to invest in a range of financial products

Life Insurance

There's a lot to learn when you're getting started with insurance, and there's still a lot to learn when you've had insurance for years! Insurance Brokers of MN wants you to feel confident that you are making informed choices.

With life insurance from Insurance Brokers of MN, you can help your family:

• Create a fund for college education.
• Create a fund for a family member with special needs.
• Keep paying the home mortgage.
• Maintain their current standard of living.
• Pay off debts, estate taxes, and final expenses.
• Protect their dreams for the future.

Getting Started

Click on the quote button to your right to get a life insurance quote from Insurance Brokers of MN.

Liquor Liability Insurance

Liquor liability insurance is business insurance that protects your business against loss or damages claimed as a result of a patron of your business becoming intoxicated and injuring themselves or others. If your business manufactures, sells, serves, or facilitates the uses or purchase of alcohol, then your business may need this coverage. Liquor liability coverage may be sold as an add-on to a commercial liability policy or as a separate liability policy. But, if you do not purchase this extra coverage your standard liability policy DOES NOT protect your business against these kind of claims. This coverage is expensive - depending on your location - and it is estimated by experts that only 35% of businesses that should have this coverage actually purchase this coverage. Part of this is because of misconceptions that exist in the hospitality industry regarding the industry's liability risks for intoxicated patrons. That issue is a topic in itself. Part of this is because the insurers continually add exclusions to the point that this coverage is seen as having no value.

If you live in a state with a "dram shop liability" statute, then purchase this insurance if your business will manufacture, sell, serve, or facilitate the use of alcohol. What to look for/ask for in a liquor liability policy:

• Assault and Battery Coverage

  Most claims against bars and restaurants are the results of fights. Your liquor liability policy should include coverage for assault and battery claims. If not, the policy has a much lower real value.

• Defense Costs Included

  The biggest cost facing your business in these types of claims is the cost of retaining a lawyer against frivolous claims. Insurers know this. That is why they sell policies where "defense costs" are deducted from the total coverage. That is, your $500,000 policy is reduced to $400,000 because of $100,000 in attorneys' fees. Frankly, even with a lower premium, pass on the policy if it does not provide your business with skilled, appointed legal counsel that does not reduce coverage.

• Employees Included

  If you serve, then employees will drink regardless of the rules. Insurers know this and sometimes exclude employees from coverage. Make sure employees are covered as patrons.

• Damage Definition Includes Mental Damages

  Claimants may claim they were damaged in non-physical ways: stress, mental anguish, or psychological damage. Some policies exclude these types of damages. Don't purchase a policy with limited damage definitions.

• Reduced Premiums Based on Safety and Claims

  Good insurers who are market leaders in bar and restaurant insurance will offer free classes and training to their insured employees and discounts on premiums for having safety training and no claim history. Some insurers will reduce premiums by 15-20% for this basic safety training. As a final note, liquor liability insurance WILL NOT cover sales that are contrary to law and sales to minors.

• hospital confinement indemnity insurance

  No matter how good your medical insurance is, when you're hospitalized for an injury or illness there will probably be medical expenses and out of pocket costs that are’t covered. A hospital confinement indemnity insurance policy provides cash benefits to use as you see fit. The benefits are predetermined and paid regardless of any other insurance you have, and you have a choice of applying for basic to extensive hospitalization insurance. Whether you want a plan that provides hospitalization benefits only, or one that also addresses diagnostic procedures, outpatient surgery and ambulance transportation.

Long Term Insurance

Long term care insurance has become a popular risk management used to assist individuals in providing for future long term care expenses. It offers protection that can assist in covering some or all of the costs of home care, assisted living, or nursing home care and many other related services. Long term care insurance is an affordable alternative to paying for long term care expenses from personal and family savings.

If individuals and families are concerned about any of the following they should consider a long term care insurance policy:

• Asset Protection and Depletion. A long term care event can be expensive. The average median annual rate of nursing home care in the United States is $70,445 per year. If care is required for three years the costs can be over $200,000.
• Eliminate Burden of Care. Many individuals do not want to rely on their children or grandchildren to provide care. This can create unnecessary stress for the care recipient and the families of the caregiver, along with any potential financial assistance a care recipient may need from their children.
• Maintain Independence. Choose how and where to receive care, including at home – where most people choose to receive care.

Medicare Supplemental Coverage

If you're new to Medicare, you may have questions, such as:

How does it work?

Do you have choices? Can you still see your doctors?

Are your prescription medications covered? How much is it going to cost you?

We at Insurance Brokers of MN want to help you find the answers you need. We’ll help you gather information, compare plans and get a better understanding of Medicare, starting with the basics.

What is Medicare?

Medicare is the nation’s largest health insurance program, covering 40 million Americans. It was designed to provide high-quality health care to people 65 and over, as well as to others with disabilities. As someone new to Medicare, select the button to learn more about when you can join.

When am I eligible for Medicare?

Your eligibility for Medicare is based on a number of items. Generally, you meet Medicare eligibility if:

• You are age 65 or older
• You are under 65 with certain disabilities
• You have ESRD (end-stage renal disease - permanent kidney failure treated with dialysis or a transplant) or ALS (Lou Gehrig disease), regardless of your age

Also, for Medicare eligibility, you or your spouse must have worked 10 or more years in Medicare-covered employment. These Medicare eligibility requirements must be met for you to receive coverage.

If you already receive Social Security benefits, you don't need to do anything. A Medicare card should be sent to you about three months before you become eligible for Medicare.

How do I apply?

• If you meet the Medicare eligibility requirements listed above, you can apply by:
• Signing up for Social Security benefits at your local Social Security office
• Visiting www.ssa.gov or calling 1-800-772-1213 (TTY/TDD: 1-800-325-0778), Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. to sign up

Once your Medicare eligibility is confirmed, you'll receive your Medicare card in the mail. Then, you can make your plan selections and enroll in the Medicare plan that is right for you.

• Remember, as you near the Medicare eligibility age, you can enroll:
• Starting three months before your 65th birthday,
• The entire month of your 65th birthday, and
• Ending three months after your 65th birthday, for a total period of seven months.

What are the parts of Medicare?

Medicare has four main parts — Medicare Part A, Medicare Part B, Medicare Part C and Medicare Part D. They cover certain medical services and prescription medications, as well as supplies in hospitals, doctors' offices, and other health care facilities. Below is a description of each part and what it covers.

Medicare Part A

• Medicare Part A is hospital insurance. It is provided by the government, usually with no monthly premiums for you to pay. Medicare Part A helps cover:
• Inpatient care in hospitals, including critical access hospitals and inpatient rehabilitation facilities
• Inpatient stays in a skilled nursing facility (not custodial or long-term care)
• Hospice care services
• Home health care services
• Inpatient care in a religious non-medical health care institution (coverage is related to non-medical, non-religious parts of care)

Medicare Part B

• Medicare Part B is optional medical insurance for which you pay an additional monthly premium that usually comes out of your Social Security benefits. Medicare Part B helps cover:
• Doctors’ services, outpatient care, and other health care services that Medicare Part A does not cover.
• Services that are medically necessary for diagnosis or treatment of a condition
• Some preventive services to detect health problems early, such as physical exams, shots and screenings
• Some physical and occupational therapy to prevent or lessen complications from an existing medical problem

Keep in mind, if you don’t sign up for Medicare Part B coverage when you are 65, monthly premiums may cost you more each year. If you wait to sign up for Medicare Part B because you have a group health plan from a former employer, you may not have to pay a higher premium when you are ready to enroll.

Medicare Part A + Medicare Part B = Original Medicare

Medicare Part C

Medicare Part C is known as Medicare Advantage. To give you more options, the government allows companies like Aetna to help manage your Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B coverage together. This is called a Medicare Advantage plan, also sometimes known as a Medicare Part C or “MA” plan. When you select Medicare Part C instead of Original Medicare, you could get the same or greater benefits — and some extras like wellness, vision, hearing and dental care from the Medicare Advantage plan. You can enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan for a monthly plan premium. This plan premium is in addition to your Medicare Part B, and possibly Part A, premium.

• You can choose from several Medicare Advantage plan options:
• Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) coordinate your care through a network of doctors and hospitals to lower your costs.
• Preferred-Provider Organizations (PPOs) offer all the benefits of an HMO with the added flexibility to choose doctors and hospitals in and outside of a network.
• Private Fee-for-Service Plans (PFFS) require no special networks or providers. You can visit any doctor or hospital that is eligible to receive payment from Medicare, agrees to treat you, and accepts the plan’s terms and conditions.
• Special Needs Plans (SNPs) are designed to meet the specific needs of Medicare beneficiaries who are also eligible for state Medicaid health insurance.

Medicare Part D

Medicare prescription drug coverage is called Medicare Part D. Everyone with Medicare can get prescription drug coverage. Like Medicare Advantage plans, Medicare Part D is only available from private companies such as Aetna. Each plan can vary in cost and drugs covered.

• You have two choices for drug coverage under Medicare Part D:
• Prescription drug coverage as part of a Medicare Advantage plan (these plans are often called "MAPD" plans). This will give you all of your coverage in one plan, for one monthly plan premium (in addition to your Part B premium and Part A premium, if applicable) that often costs less than you would pay for each separately.
• A stand-alone Medicare prescription drug plan in addition to your existing Original Medicare (Medicare Part A or Medicare Part B) coverage, Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plan, or a Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plan without prescription drug coverage. These plans are sometimes referred to as "PDP" plans and only offer prescription drug coverage.
• Medicare Supplement
• You can add a Medicare Supplement plan (sometimes known as Medigap coverage). If you have Original Medicare, you can get coverage in addition to Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B that is provided by private companies like Aetna . This is called a Medicare Supplement plan. It helps you pay for some of the health care costs not covered by Original Medicare (Parts A and B), including deductibles and coinsurance payments. This type of coverage enables you to visit the doctors and hospitals of your choice.
• Medicare Supplement Plans do not include prescription drug coverage. If you need prescription drug coverage, you can add a standalone Medicare Part D plan for an additional monthly plan premium.

How do I know what kind of coverage I need?

Everyone has different needs. Consider what's most important to you when choosing your health coverage. Here are some questions to ask yourself:

• Do you have a family doctor who knows your history? Is he or she affiliated with your insurer?
• Will your doctor accept your Medicare plan?
• Do you take a lot of prescription medications?
• Is it more important to have a fixed monthly cost or would you rather pay as you go?

Take a closer look at the different types of plans to decide which is best for you.

Type of Plan: Original Medicare (Part A and Part B)

• Description: Helps cover your medical services and hospitalization, but not most outpatient Medicare prescription drugs, vision or hearing.
• Medicare (the federal government) provides this coverage
• You have your choice of doctors
• Generally, Medicare Part B covers 80% of covered costs and you pay 20% after meeting your deductible

Might be a good choice if: You simply need basic medical and hospital benefits, without coverage for prescription drugs or extras such as wellness care and vision. If you choose Original Medicare and want prescription drug coverage, you will need to enroll in a stand-alone prescription drug plan.

Type of Plan: Medicare Advantage Plans

Description: A Medicare Advantage plan (like an HMO, PPO or PFFS) covers the same services as Original Medicare plus additional benefits such as wellness care, vision and/or hearing coverage. You can add prescription drug coverage by enrolling in a Medicare Advantage plan with Medicare prescription drug coverage ("MAPD" plan). If you are enrolled in a Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plan without Medicare prescription drug coverage, you can also add Medicare prescription drug coverage by enrolling in a stand-alone prescription drug plan.

• Generally, Medicare Advantage plans:
• Are offered by private companies such as Aetna
• May have copays, deductibles, and/or coinsurance for covered services
• Have costs and extra benefits that may vary by plan
• May either require you to see doctors in their network or let you choose
• Might be a good choice if: You want more complete coverage and benefits than what is covered by Original Medicare. Think of Medicare Advantage with prescription drug coverage as an all-in-one plan. It's the only option that includes hospital, medical and prescription drug coverage with one ID card and one monthly plan premium (in addition to your Part B premium and Part A premium, if applicable).

Type of Plan: Medicare Rx Plans

• Description: Covers Medicare Part D outpatient prescription drugs.
• You can get prescription drug coverage included as part of a Medicare Advantage plan (“MAPD”), usually for an extra cost
• If you have Original Medicare, Medicare Supplement, or a Private Fee-for-Service plan without prescription drug coverage, you can choose a stand-alone Medicare Rx (prescription drug) plan that is offered by a private company such as Aetna. You may have to pay an additional monthly plan premium.

Might be a good choice if: You currently take prescription drugs or may need to take them in the future. It makes sense to be covered, because you never know when you might need medication. And if you don't join a prescription drug plan when you first become eligible. You also will avoid any possible late enrollment penalties.

Don’t take many prescription medications? You should still consider enrolling in a plan today. Even if you don’t take a lot of prescription drugs now, joining a Medicare Rx plan helps ensure you have coverage if the need should unexpectedly arise and you will avoid any possible late enrollment penalties.

Type of Plan: Medicare Supplement (or Medigap) Plans

• Description: A non-network plan that pays after Original Medicare and lets you choose your doctors and hospitals.
• If you have Original Medicare, you can choose to buy this private supplemental coverage
• Costs vary by company and policy
• Plans cannot be changed or canceled if you relocate to a different state
• This coverage is not needed or available with Medicare Advantage plans
• You can also enroll in a standalone Medicare Part D prescription drug plan for an additional monthly plan premium.

Might be a good choice if: You want coverage for Original Medicare (Parts A and B) out-of-pocket costs, such as deductibles and coinsurance, and visit the doctors and hospitals of your choice. Also if you want to keep your plan even if you move.

Mobile Home Insurance

Whether you live in your mobile home year round or for just a few weeks out of the year, you want to have the best mobile home insurance for the best price. Mobile home insurance is a specific type of insurance that works to protect your valuable asset and protect you from numerous kinds of losses to your property.

Although you can weed through each company policies and call them each up individually to get a mobile home insurance quote, it much easier to call and speak with a mobile home insurance expert that will be able to sort through each mobile home insurance company offerings to find the best quote for you, and it free.

Our mobile insurance coverage includes:

• Attempted or actual robbery or burglary
• Collapse from the weight of ice and snow
• Damage caused by faulty jacks or blocks
• Damage from nail polish, shoe polish, dye, ink or paint
• Falling objects
• Explosions
• Fire
• Landslides
• Off right-of-way collision (if you move your mobile home to another location)
• Vandalism
• Water damage (from bursting pipes)
• Wind and hail damage

Additional coverage is available.

With RV America Insurance, you can get a great mobile home insurance quote that covers not just your home but also your personal belongings. Coverage is also available for adjacent unattached structures including sheds, gardens, patios and garages.

It can also help you to get these types of important coverage:

• Additional living expenses
• Coverage of trees, shrubs, lawns and plants
• Credit card and check forgery
• Emergency removal service
• Emergency repairs after a loss
• Fire department service
• Food spoilage coverage
• Removal of debris from your insured property after a covered loss

Motorcycle Insurance

Your motorcycle is not adequately covered by your auto or home insurance. Your bike and accessories require specialized coverage. We offer many coverage options including increased limits of liability, uninsured motorist, and accessory coverage.

• Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability

  covers your legal liability for a covered accident that involves injury to another person or damage to someone's property, up to the limit of liability you select

• Comprehensive and Collision Coverage

  This coverage pays to repair or replace your motorcycle if it is stolen or damaged in an accident, regardless of who is at fault. For each coverage, you select a deductible that you pay out of pocket. Your insurance company pays for the remaining damage. With Collision coverage, your insurance company pays for damage to your motorcycle when you collide with another vehicle or object. If you hit a car, a pole or another nonliving object, Collision coverage will apply. With Comprehensive coverage, your insurance company pays for damage to your motorcycle caused by an event other than a collision, such as fire, theft or vandalism. If you hit an animal, or if your motorcycle is flooded or stolen, Comprehensive coverage will apply.

• Uninsured Motorist Bodily Injury

  This covers injuries and damages you incur that the at-fault party is legally liable for, such as medical treatment and lost wages. If your injury expenses exceed the at-fault party's Liability limits, you can use Under insured Motorist Bodily Injury coverage to pay for the amount not covered by the at-fault person's insurance. Similar to Uninsured Motorist coverage, Under insured Motorist coverage is designed to cover the gap between the other person's Liability limits and the amount of your injury expenses, up to the Under insured Motorist limits you select.

• Medical Payments (Med Pay) coverage

  This coverage pays the cost of necessary medical care you receive as a result of a motorcycle accident and can be used regardless of who is at fault.

• Custom Parts and Equipment (CPE)/Accessory

  Additional CPE coverage can be purchased to cover equipment. CPE covers equipment, devices, accessories, enhancements and changes, other than those that the manufacturer originally installs, that alter the appearance or performance of a motorcycle or off-road vehicle. This includes, but is not limited to:

  • Any electronic equipment, antennas and other devices used exclusively to send or receive audio, visual or data signals or play back recorded media, other than those that the manufacturer originally installs, that are permanently installed on the motorcycle or off-road vehicle using bolts or brackets, including slide-out brackets.
  • Sidecars (when attached to the insured cycle)
  • Trailers designed to be pulled behind a motorcycle or off-road vehicle (when attached to the insured cycle)
  • Trike conversion kits
  • Custom paint, custom plating or custom exhaust
  • Mower blades, plow blades or winches
  • Safety riding apparel, including helmets. (Coverage is provided in the event of a Collision loss. Theft is not covered.)

• Roadside Assistance Coverage

  This provides towing to the nearest qualified repair facility and necessary labor at the place of breakdown when your motorcycle or off-road vehicle is disabled due to any of the following:

  • Mechanical or electrical breakdown
  • Dead battery
  • Flat tire
  • Lockout
  • Insufficient supply of fuel, oil, water or other fluids
  • Entrapment in snow, mud, water or sand within 100 feet of the roadway

Personal Umbrella Coverage

How Personal Umbrella Coverage Protects You: Consider this scenario: You're sued for $1 million after an auto accident or an incident on your home or property. But your insurance only covers up to $500,000 in damages. Who's responsible for the other $500,000 if you're ordered to pay it? You are — unless you have Personal Umbrella insurance.

Personal Umbrella insurance covers you and your family by paying claims that exceed the liability limits of your existing auto or homeowners policy. With Personal Umbrella coverage, your home is safe. Your lifestyle is safe. You're safe.

Who Needs Personal Umbrella Coverage?

Personal Umbrella insurance isn't just for the wealthy. It's for everyone. That's why we offer comprehensive and affordable protection.

• If you drive a motor vehicle or you own a home or condominium, you're vulnerable to legal action and large judgments. If you have an ATV, RV, boat, or motorcycle, your need for extra protection is even more important.
• An extra $1M to $10M of liability coverage which can help protect assets like your home, auto, boat, wages, and investments such as your retirement
• Coverage for claims like libel, slander, defamation of character and invasion of privacy
• Helps cover defense costs, attorney fees and other charges associated with lawsuits

And all this coverage extends to international occurrences too!

Pet Insurance

Pet insurance pays for vet bills when your pet is sick or hurt. With pet insurance, you pay the bill and are reimbursed by the pet insurance company. Many plans have deductibles, maximums and even coinsurance. Pet insurance does not necessarily cover all medical conditions for your pet, so make sure you get all the facts before you buy.

Professional Liability Insurance

What is professional liability insurance?

Professional liability insurance, also called errors and omissions insurance (E & O insurance), protects your business if you are sued for negligence, even if you haven’t made a mistake.

You should seriously consider professional liability insurance if your business:

• provides a professional service.
• regularly gives advice to clients.
• requested by a client to have professional liability insurance to complete a contract

What is covered?

• Alleged or actual negligence
• Defense costs
• Personal injury (e.g., libel or slander)
• Copyright infringement
• Worldwide coverage
• Temporary staff and subcontractors
• Claims arising from services provided in the past
• Claims and damages

What is not covered?

• Bodily injury or property damage
• Fraudulent acts
• Employment matters
• False advertising
• Patents and trade secrets
• Personally identifiable information
• Other services

Other services

We specialize in professional liability insurance coverage for professional services businesses.

• Accountants
• Attorneys
• Dentists
• Engineers
• Home Inspectors
• Judges
• Real Estate Agents
• And more

Renters Insurance

Your landlord insurance does not cover your personal property. Clothes, jewelry, stereos, televisions, computers, furniture, artwork and other valuable possessions are not protected against loss or destruction unless you arrange coverage through a renters or tenants insurance policy.

The fact is, tenants need special insurance to protect themselves from the loss of their belongings as well their own personal liability, the loss of  use of their apartment if there is a fire and for other situations that may arise.

While there are insurance agents and carriers that recommend minimum levels of protection it is our belief that for the small amounts of premium saved if any you are better served purchasing a more sophisticated insurance program.

Some basics and why our policies are better from the start:

• A) Property is covered for a basic limit of $50,000 for damages arising from perils named in your policy such as fire, water damage, theft, explosion and more. Coverage is included in a way that allows you to replace your lost property with new items. Note: Most policies prove actual cash value ACV for your lost goods, which means you get there depreciated value or almost nothing for most cloths and furniture unless those items are quite new. We are including replacement cost coverage. There is a $500 deductible.
• There are specific limits on the theft of certain types of property such as jewelry, money and securities, water craft,  firearms, etc. We will give you a proposal describing the coverage in more detail. There is some credit card coverage and damages to building improvements and betterment or installations you made to your rental home at your own expense will be covered as well up to the policy limits.
• B) Loss of use is the extra expense you incur while staying at a temporary location if your rental home becomes uninhabitable. While most policies allow a limited dollar amount for this coverage our program is not limited in the traditional manner and is far broader.
• C) Personal Liability coverage insures you for claims involving damages for which you are held liable. Our program starts with a $500,000 limit. Excess limits are available and highly recommended as a result of the high number of lawsuits today and the awards. Excess limits are available to and often increased to $5 Million.
• D) Non Owned and Hired Car coverage including Physical Damage to Hired Cars is an exciting addition to the program we are offering and is only available through the Lewis Chester Tenants Policy and when the insured owns no Automobiles of their own.

Surety Bonds

Insurance Brokers of Mn, Inc. provides the following types of surety bonds:

Whether you’re an individual seeking a particular type of bond, or run a business with a variety of bonding requirements. We have several top bonding firms where we can provide a surety program tailored to your needs. Commercial Surety: We offer bonding both domestic and international surety needs from the largest multi-national companies to "Main Street" businesses. Industries we service include coal/mining, financial institutions, health care, manufacturing, public utilities, retailers, service contractors, technology, telecommunications and transportation.

• Bid, performance and payment
• Construction materials supply
• Court bonds – judicial, fiduciary and probate
• Depository bonds
• ERISA fidelity
• Licenses and permits
• Lost instrument
• Miscellaneous
• Notary
• Public officials
• Release of lien
• Utilities

Term Life Insurance

Recently,long-term, level premium (i.e., guaranteed rate) term life insurance has become the popular form of life insurance and it’s never been more affordable! However,your broker needs to know the insurance carriers extremely well to determine who offers the best rates in any given situation.

When shopping for life insurance, you should look for insurance companies with high ratings and products with long guarantee periods and various rate classifications. Some carriers are allowing recent insured’s to increase their benefits with no further medical exams or blood or urine tests.

We have both the experience and expertise to guide you in choosing the term insurance program that would be best for you. We represent all oft he major insurance providers and can guarantee you the lowest rates. Because we are constantly reviewing the life insurance marketplace, we are able to find the greatest value for your life insurance premium dollar — and we may be able to save you hundreds of dollars beyond what you are currently paying for your existing life insurance!

Truckers Insurance

We know how important it is for you to find the right insurance protection for your special needs. 

We are specialists in Trucking insurance, we can place the difficult and unusual coverage’s in addition to the usual Property, Casualty and Employee Benefit coverage’s. We represent companies that will be with you for the long haul.

What We Do

Your insurance program will be customized to your needs, leaving out coverage’s you don't require and adding or increasing those that fit your situation.

As a result you get protection with no overlaps, no gaps, and almost always at a lower cost.

In addition, we will help you set up a safety program for your drivers that includes: Drivers Meetings, Selection of an Incentive Plan, Hazardous Material Instruction, Guidelines for Drug Testing and more. These services are offered free of charge to our insureds.

Valuable Items Insurance

Protect your valuables with valuable items coverage Better coverage for cherished possessions

From jewelry to collectibles, you probably have more valuables than you realize. And your homeowners policy may not cover their full value. Your peace of mind is worth it. Consider Valuable Items Coverage for:

• Antiques
• Bicycles
• Cameras
• Computers
• Fine Art
• Furs
• Garden tractors
• Golf Equipment
• Guns
• Jewelry and engagement rings
• Musical instruments
• Pedigreed dogs
• Political campaign collections
• Silverware, china and crystal
• Sound equipment (recorders)
• Sports equipment (archery, camping, fishing, skiing)
• Stamp and coin collections
• Trophies
• Wedding gifts

Personal Articles Floater:

• Itemized coverage and peace of mind knowing your belongings are appraised and insured to value
• Separate protection just for valuables
• Policies can be purchased separately
• No deductible and insures against many risks
• Ideal for more expensive articles with values that exceed a homeowners policy

A small price to pay for valuables

Protecting your valuables from loss is an affordable option for anyone with treasured belongings. Whether you just need jewelry insurance or want insurance for multiple valuables, we offer plenty of options.

Wedding Insurance

Dreaming of happily ever after? Vendors, event sites and suppliers may fail to deliver on promises. A missing caterer, bridal shop loses your dress, facility is double booked, photographer disappears after the wedding... and the list goes on. No preset packages. Tailor your insurance exactly to your needs for as low as $95.

Three things you should know when planning a wedding:

• Personal Liability

  Most event sites require Personal Liability Insurance from the wedding couple. Event sites will ask the hosts to show proof of Liability Insurance where the event site is listed as an Additional Insured.

• Loss of Deposits

  Caterers go bankrupt, event sites close down, storms close roads and airports, brides get cold feet. For a low premium wedding insurance protects your non-refundable costs in the event of cancellation or postponement for covered reasons.

• Cancelation/Postponement

  The average wedding runs $29,000 placing a lot of your money at stake. Why take chances with one of the biggest days of your life?

Workers Compensation Insurance

If your business has employees, you will need workers’ compensation insurance.

Workers’ compensation is a system set up by the state to insure all employees in the state in case of a work place injury. Under common law, the master (employer) is responsible for the injuries that occur to their servant (employee). Before workers’ compensation an employee could sue an employer for their injuries on the job. The employer could defend against the suit by showing the employee was negligent or not doing their job at the time of the injury. Understandably, this system led to a good deal of litigation – none of it benefiting workers, their families, or their employers.

Over time, states set up a system of insurance where all employers were required to participate and in return employees were no longer entitled to bring a law suit for their injuries. Instead, employees submit claims to the insurer and the claims are paid.

By law, you will be required to participate in workers’ compensation. There are exceptions, but the exceptions are few. The exceptions also differ by the state you do business in. As a general rule, if you are self-employed, you do not need to have workers’ compensation insurance. However, you can “opt in” as a self-employed business person.

When you start in your business your premiums will be based on the claims experience of your particular industry. Claims experience is a historical set of data kept over time which statistically predicts the number of injuries (claims) that are likely to occur in an industry. The roofing business and construction contractors typically have the highest claims experience and workers’ compensation premiums are higher for those businesses. Businesses where there is less chance of injury have lower premiums.

After a few years your business will be rated on its claims experience. Typically this rating process will penalize your business with higher premiums for higher than average claims and reward your business with lower premiums for lower than average claims.

Most states also have voluntary employer training/safety programs that can lower premiums. Some states allow businesses to become self-insured by retaining private insurance outside of the workers’ compensation scheme.

If you will have employees, you will need this insurance by law. In a properly constructed business insurance plan, the premiums for workers’ compensation insurance should be considered first and a budget for premiums for other types of insurance considered only after this legally mandated insurance is considered.