ISSUE FORTY | SEPTEMBER 2026

Life Insurance Awareness Month

September is Life Insurance Awareness Month and was created by Life Happens and sponsored by LIMRA (Life Insurance Marketing and Research Association) and LOMA (Life Office Management Association) to help consumers learn how life insurance can protect family income and assets. You can use the Life Happens Needs Calculator to find out how much coverage you need.

Types of Coverage

Term Life Insurance: Gives high coverage for a low starting cost. It fits well for tight budgets.
Permanent Life Insurance: Lasts for your whole life. It does not need to be rewritten as you age.
Combined Policies: Uses both term and permanent types to meet your goals.

Policy Options and Benefits

No Medical Exam: Guaranteed issue and graded policies let you skip medical underwriting.
Tax-Free Funds: Death benefits are usually tax-free.
Payout Choices: Money can pay out as one big sum or in smaller payments over time.

If you want more information, contact our office as policies should be designed to fit your family size, budget and need.

Life Happens Needs Calculator

Preparing for Open Enrollment:

Dates, Deadlines, and Reminders!

Marketplace/ACA Open Enrollment:

Off Marketplace: October 1^st- December 15^th

On Marketplace: November 1^st- January 15^th
(December 15^th is the deadline for a January 1^st effective date)

Open Enrollment is the annual period to find, change, or update your health insurance coverage. All policies will become effective January 1^st, 2027 unless your enrollment is completed AFTER January 1^st. There have been numerous changes this year that will affect your Open Enrollment.

All members must update their data and income information and there will be no passive renewals for zero dollar plans.

Consent forms are required annually and must be completed prior to appointments.

Tax Reconciliation is being enforced and if you have not filed taxes for two years and have received premium tax credits, your subsidy will expire and you will have to pay the full amount of your Health premiums until that has been reconciled.

More documentation may be required. If you have lost coverage, been declined Medicaid or have had any change that may qualify you for a Special Enrollment period, please save all your documentation and have items like dates of birth and social security numbers readily available or enrollments cannot be completed.

Medicare Open Enrollment: October 15th-December 7^th

Open enrollment for all Medicare beneficiaries is quickly approaching and this is the time for you to review, change or renew your current coverages. Medicare Supplement plans automatically renew during this time, but the following changes can be made:

You may change your Medicare Advantage or your Part D RX plan.

You may switch from Original Medicare into a Medicare Advantage plan.

You may drop your Advantage Plan and return to Original Medicare and add a Medicare Supplement and a Part D plan.

This year, consent forms are required for all health insurance enrollments and Medicare beneficiaries are required to update their consent via a Scope of Appointment form annually or during the Annual Open Enrollment period. The consent forms and Scope of Appointment (SOA) links are below or can be completed by going to our website and selecting the appropriate forms on the right side of the page. https://eiafl.com/resources/

All changes made during this time will be effective January 1^st, 2027. If you have not already scheduled your appointment with your Elite Medicare Agent, please reach out to our office at 904-527-1304 to do so. If you are not making any changes, please complete the Scope of Appointment and return to our office and we will update our records with your information for 2027. We will do our best to communicate any additional requirements and updates to you and appreciate your trust in our Agency!

Resources

Meet Dottie: The Newest Face of Elite!

At Elite, we believe in the power of real connections. That’s why we want you to know the actual people behind the screens and phones when you reach out to us.

Just in time for the upcoming Open Enrollment season, we are thrilled to welcome Dottie to the Elite family!

Dottie joins us after deciding to step out of retirement to do what she does best: build community relationships and connect with people. She brings an incredible 30+ years of medical environment experience working closely with doctors and the administrative staff. Beyond her impressive background, she lights up the office with her upbeat spirit and a truly contagious laugh (and when she isn't here, she is busy spoiling her wonderful grandchildren!).

You will be hearing a lot more from Dottie very soon as we head into enrollment. Please join us in giving her a warm welcome the next time you call the office!

• The September equinox doesn't actually mean 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness. The exact equal-day/equal-night date varies depending on where you live.

• The first Teddy Bear was made by Morris Michtom in September 1902.

• The movie "The Wizard of Oz" premiered in theaters on September 25, 1939.

• September's “aster” flower has a botanical plot twist. Many familiar North American flowers traditionally called asters aren't technically classified in the genus Aster anymore. A large group was reclassified into the genus Symphyotrichum in the 1990s.

• This year's September full moon reaches peak illumination on September 26 at 12:49 p.m. EDT, although it will look essentially full across the nights of September 25–27.

• America's early newspaper Publick Occurrences published its first issue in Boston on September 25, 1690. Authorities shut it down immediately. The first issue was also its last.

• Oktoberfest: Despite its name, the famous German festival actually begins in late September.

Around the Office: Safety for our Clients and Team

Our Elite team recently gathered for a safety meeting alongside with presenting new products for the client’s annual Benefits Open Enrollment. And for them, safety isn't just a protocol - it is a core value they live by every single day.

While reviewing the wellness initiatives that Elite can offer, we discussed some eye-opening national statistics that serve as a powerful reminder to stay vigilant, both on the job and on the road:

Distracted Driving Risks:

Automobile accidents remain the number one non-medical cause of death in the United States. The leading culprits are everyday distractions we all face, including eating, texting and general distractions.

The 23x Factor: Texting while driving increases the likelihood of a crash by a staggering 23 times.

Workplace Vigilance:

Across the country, over 2,000 workers are treated each day for work- or safety-related eye injuries and accidents.

Over 4,930 emergency room visits are made daily for work-related injuries

According to the US Bureau of Labor, roughly 7,690 workers are injured daily while on the job.

We share these statistics not to alarm, but to reinforce why we fight to protect America’s workers with medical, ancillary, and worksite benefits to assist with the financial strain that an injury can cause. When you partner with Elite Insurance, you are partnering with a team that prioritizes protection, awareness, and responsibility in everything we do and with all our benefit offerings.

If you have any questions or need additional coverage, please reach out for a quote and assistance. And as always, stay safe out there!

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.

Learn about exclusive benefit options for Florida's First Responders