Everyone must have health insurance to pay for their medical care. The Hanneken Insurance Agency Inc., serving Little Falls, MN, and the surrounding area, can provide this vital coverage.

Why is it so important? Health insurance offers protection from high, unexpected medical expenses. No one plans to get hurt or sick, but all people need medical care at some point. Health insurance will cover these costs, plus offers other important benefits.

• Health insurance covers essential health benefits for preserving your health and treating accidents or illnesses.
• You pay less for those services in the network before meeting your deductible.
• Health insurance protects you from rising medical costs.
• Health insurance provides free preventive care, such as vaccines, screenings, and check-ups, before meeting your deductible.

This coverage provides important financial protection if you have a severe illness or are in an accident. Without it, all costs resulting from an event would need to be paid out-of-pocket by you. This can result in people going deep into debt or possibly facing bankruptcy.

Consider this:

• A broken leg can cost up to $7500 to fix.
• The average 3-day hospital stay can cost approximately $30,000.
• Comprehensive cancer treatment can run into thousands of dollars.

Having health insurance will protect you from these costs in three ways:

• Reduced costs after you meet the deductible. For example, if your plan has a $1,000 deductible, the policyholder pays the first $1,000 in covered services. Then the plan will pay between 60% and 90% of covered costs, depending on your plan. You will pay between 10% and 40% of the expenses through coinsurance or copayments.
• The out-of-pocket maximum is the total amount you pay, no matter how much care you receive in the plan year.
• There are no yearly or lifetime limits for essential health benefits.

If you are in need of health insurance, contact the Hanneken Insurance Agency Inc. to receive a no-obligation quote or answers to any questions you may have.

Farming is one of the most dangerous professions in the USA today.

Farmers are twice as likely to die on the job as police officers. They are five times more likely to die on the job than firefighters. They are 73 times more likely to suffer a job-related injury than bankers. And the single biggest hazard on farms in central Minnesota is grain bin accidents.

During harvest time, farm workers work fast. They recognize that failing to get the crop in the bin in time can result in huge losses, especially when winter comes early. Conscientious farm workers sacrifice their breaks and forget safety procedures, sometimes with tragic results. 

Since 1975, there have been 900 cases of grain engulfment in the United States, 558 of them resulting in a fatality. The average age of workers trapped in grain bins is 22. Sadly, this kind of accident is almost entirely preventable. Here’s what Hanneken Insurance Agency Inc. in Little Falls, MN recommends to prevent it.

• Ensure no one is working on top of the grain before activating the auger at the bottom of the bin. The auger can create a vacuum from which it is impossible to escape.
• When grain stinks, stay away from it. Spoiled grain releases foul-smelling gasses. These gasses can accumulate just beneath what appears to be a solid surface. Never step into a grain bin if the grain smells terrible.
• Take care when cleaning the inside of a silo. Loosening spoiled grain can trigger an avalanche of spoiled and fresh grain on workers below.

Take time to be safe! Make sure no worker enters a grain bin without a permit. Make sure every worker—as well as the owner—wears a safety harness before working on top of the grain. Turn off and lock the controls of the auger before entering the bin. Test for toxic gasses. Never walk down grain.

Hanneken Insurance Agency Inc. in Little Falls, MN represents over 60 insurance companies. We help farmers find the coverage they need at an affordable price. Email an agent for more information today!