ISSUE TWENTY SIX | JULY 2025

How to Choose the Right Lens Color for your Sunglasses

Sunglasses play a vital role in maintaining long-term eye health. Prolonged exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun can damage the eyes and increase the risk of serious conditions like cataracts, macular degeneration, and even skin cancer around the eyelids. Wearing sunglasses that block 100% of UVA and UVB rays helps protect the eyes from this harmful radiation. In addition to UV protection, sunglasses reduce glare, prevent eye strain, and enhance visual comfort, especially in bright or reflective environments. Prioritizing eye care by wearing quality sunglasses is a simple yet powerful way to preserve vision and maintain overall ocular health throughout life.

Choosing the right sunglasses involves more than just picking a stylish pair—they should also provide adequate protection for your eyes. And a Vision plan can be less than $20 a month and provide benefits for your eyes and your eyewear. Reach out to our office and let us help you see more clearly!

Click to read more about lens color selection!

Insurers Sign Pact to Simplify Prior Authorization Pain Points

Insurers large and small from across the country have announced a series of commitments they are making to reform one of the biggest pain points in the patient journey: prior authorization. Prior authorization, also known as pre-authorization or precertification, is a process where a health insurance plan requires a healthcare provider to obtain approval before providing certain medical services or medications to a patient. This process helps the insurer determine if the requested service or medication is medically necessary and covered under the patient's plan. In short, prior authorization is a mechanism used by health insurance companies to manage costs and ensure the appropriateness of healthcare services, but it can also create challenges for patients and providers.

Key steps in the reform include committing to reducing the number of services that are subject to prior authorization, with "demonstrated" progress by January 1, 2026. The plans are also working to roll out common and transparent solutions that promote electronic prior authorization submissions with a framework up and running for plans and providers by January 1, 2027.

About 50 insurers have signed on to the pledge including all six of the largest publicly traded health plans including: Elevance Health, Centene, Cigna, CVS Health's Aetna, Humana and UnitedHealthcare. A slew of Blue Cross Blue Shield plans are also leading the charge and the initiative is backed by both AHIP and the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. This reform could be extremely beneficial to patients in their healthcare journey.

Reference: AHIP Solutions Smart Brief June 2025

• Thunderstorms are more common in summer due to the increased heat and humidity.

• Lightning is hotter than the surface of the sun and a single flash can contain multiple strikes.

• Exposure to sunlight during summer helps our bodies produce vitamin D, which is essential for bone health

• The Eiffel Tower in Paris expands about 6 inches taller in summer due to the expansion of the iron in the heat.

• If you’d like to join our team – we have a variety of positions we’re looking to fill! From sales agents, to admin, to enrollment team members.

• Medicare certifications are open! If you’ve considered selling Medicare, please contact our office. A 2-15 license is required (we pay for the course for you) as well as Medicare certifications for the carriers you will represent.

July Quote:

“Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” - Thomas Edison

Plan Closures and Terminations Announced

Elite Insurance Associates strives to keep our clients informed as plan changes, updates and closures may directly impact you. As we come into the second half of 2025, many plans that have closures, terminations or non-renewals have begun notifying their members in June and July, for the changes coming in the fall of 2025. Aetna CVS Health made the decision to exit the Individual and Family plan exchange market as of January 2026. Many plans last day of active coverage will be December 31, 2025, and members will need to shop for new plans during the Open Enrollment which will begin in November 2025. Medical and Pharmacy claims with a date of service prior to December 31st will continue to process, per the contract.

If you are affected by a plan change or termination, please contact our office and we will be glad to assist and can schedule a fall appointment date and time for you.

Around the Town: Client Appreciation

Referrals are vital to our success and our team of agents take them seriously and treat them with the utmost care! We appreciate clients who share our information and refer their friends and family to us.

Cierra and Haley had the honor to visit with Zane Shaw and he was thrilled to receive a gift basket from our agency. Zane has been a long-time client and friend and is always eager to share our information with his family, friends and clients. We appreciate him and if you’re looking for a fantastic Salon that has provided exceptional care and pampering since 1981, contact Casablanca Beauty Salon at (904) 389-5533.

Thank you, Zane!

Elite Services: Insurance Designed with You in Mind

Our Mission: To treat our clients like family - assisting, educating and providing benefits that protect them and their loved ones through all stages of life. We help unlock the mysteries of Healthcare and educate clients while being a resource they can readily turn to for answers.

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