Shield Insurance Agency Blog

Welcome to the Shield Insurance Agency Blog. 

Here you will find a ton of articles on each of these topics: Auto Insurance, Boat/Watercraft Insurance, Business Insurance, Flood Insurance, Health Insurance, Home Insurance, Insurance, Life Insurance, Michigan Auto Insurance Reform, Recreational Insurance, Renters Insurance, RV Insurance, Things To Do At Home, Umbrella Insurance, and even a list of the Shield Agency Weekly Gift Card Winners,

If you have any suggestions for content, please drop us an email.

You should buy life insurance in your 20s if another person would face a financial burden upon your death, including your spouse, partner, children, parents or a business partner.

Should I Buy Life Insurance in My 20s?

Posted on by Shield Insurance Agency

Experian | by Tim Maxwell | Life Insurance

Quick Answer

You should buy life insurance in your 20s if another person would face a financial burden upon your death, including your spouse, partner, children, parents or a business partner.

In your 20s, buying life insurance likely isn’t at the top of mind. You’re probably focusing on paying off student loans or meeting basic expenses, and adding yet another bill to the mix can be hard to justify. Still, making room for life insurance in your financial plan may make sense.

It may be a good idea to buy life insurance in your 20s if you have dependents who rely on your income, you have a lot of debt or if you want to lock in a low rate while you’re young and generally in good health. Locking in a good rate now can give you peace of mind knowing there’s a financial safety net for the people you care about most.

When It Makes Sense to Buy Life Insurance in Your 20s

Purchasing life insurance may protect anyone who would be financially impacted if you die by providing them with a cash payout. The following are some instances where buying life insurance while you’re young may be a wise choice.

  • If someone relies on you financially: Life insurance can protect anyone who depends on your income, whether it’s your partner, spouse or children, or a parent, sibling or business partner.
  • You have a family or plan on having one: If you have a partner, spouse or children who rely on your income, getting life insurance is essential to help cover your family’s living expenses and debts if you die. If you’re single but want a family in the future, getting life insurance now can save you money in the long run since premiums are less expensive when you’re younger and healthier.
  • You have large debts: Life insurance can make sure student loans, mortgages or other large debts are not passed on to your family upon your death. While federal student loans are discharged when you die, most private loans are not. Even if loans are forgiven, they can leave behind with a large tax bill.
  • You want to cover your final expenses: The average funeral costs $7,848, according to the National Funeral Directors Association. While you shouldn’t have to worry about your funeral for years to come, anything can happen. Final expense life insurance can cover funeral costs so your loved ones don’t have to.

Consider getting life insurance if you want to help mitigate the financial burden your loved ones might face if you die. Your beneficiaries can receive a tax-free death benefit, which they can use to pay debts, living expenses, college tuition or for any other purpose.

What Type of Life Insurance Should You Buy?

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Specialty Insurance

Specialty Insurance Policies For Your Recreational Toys

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What specialty insurance?

In simple terms, specialty insurance coverage is exactly what it sounds like: It’s insurance that can be purchased for items that are special or unique. Specialty insurance policies are important for items that are not typically covered under other insurance policies.

From motorcycle insurance to boat insurance, protect your unique items.

We hear it all the time: “Specialty insurance? What’s that and why do I have it or why do I need it?”

In simple terms, specialty insurance coverage is exactly what it sounds like: It’s insurance that can be purchased for items that are special or unique. Specialty insurance policies are important for items that are not typically covered under other insurance policies.

Type of Specialty Insurance Coverage Available

Consider the items you own that are not covered by other insurance policies. For example, what vehicles do you drive that aren’t included on your auto insurance policy? What additional coverage is required to protect your home in the event of a flood? Specialty insurance policies complement your existing auto, home and umbrella policies. Types of specialty insurance offered through CONNECT and its partners include:

Classic car insurance – Whether you’ve spent hours and hours on restoration or bought a one-of-a-kind collector’s item, protect your antique car with classic car insurance.

ATV insurance – Enjoy the ride with coverage for your all-terrain vehicle. This specialty insurance coverage will protect you whether you ride for fun or function.

Flood insurance – Find coverage for your home or car—and yes, there is a difference!

High-value homes and rental insurance – Take the worry out of being a landlord or covering your high-value home.

Motorcycle insurance – In case of storm, accident or other natural disaster, make sure your bike will be still be ready to ride with motorcycle insurance.

RV insurance – Recreational vehicles give you the freedom to adventure anywhere. Whether you travel cross-country or simply use your RV for weekend camping, stay on the road with RV insurance.

Boat insurance – From sailboat to pontoon or even jet ski, stay afloat with boat insurance coverage.

Added Protection from our Agency Partners

Losing a one-of-a-kind item or a unique vehicle to fire, theft or flood damage is painful enough. Finding out your insurance doesn’t cover the replacement of the item, vehicle or your home or auto would make a heart-breaking situation even worse.

That’s why we’ve developed partnerships with industry leaders in specialty insurance. Our goal is to help you find coverage for these unique items. Through our trusted partnerships, you can purchase insurance policies for a wide range of specialty items.

This is a great compilation video of some of the specialty insurance products Shield Insurance can offer our clients from one of our many carriers.

  • Is your RV ready for winter?
  • Do you need umbrella insurance?
  • Safe Boating Checklist
  • Looking for fully loaded Watercraft coverage? Check out Safeco’s Captain’s Package
  • Choose Safeco’s Captain’s Package and get fully loaded watercraft coverage
  • From motorcycles to ATVs: Do you have enough custom parts protection?
  • Safeco’s Classic Car Insurance
  • Safeco’s RV Insurance
  • Safeco Insurance & Liberty Mutual Small Commercial
  • Safeco Boat and Personal Watercraft Insurance

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The Unique Challenges of Dementia Caregiving

The Unique Challenges of Dementia Caregiving

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Dementia Caregiving. Tips on how to manage such often-difficult care

by Selene Yeager, AARP, May 31, 2022

Dementia Caregiving: Douglas Scharre, M.D., author of Long-Term Management of Dementia and director of the division of cognitive and memory disorders at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, explains how to manage such often-difficult care.

With Alzheimer’s disease, a loved one can seem lucid one day and unrecognizable the next. Why?

Dementia Caregiving: Alzheimer’s is a slow process in which toxic proteins build up in specific areas of the brain, starting with the area where you form new memories. So if you have conversation with someone in early stages, they may not remember the lunch they had with you yesterday, but they may be able to talk about a wonderful anniversary dinner from three years ago, because they’re accessing a stored memory in the part of the brain that’s not damaged.

The disease also causes you to lose brain cells, so you have less of a reserve when something throws you off, such as a bad night’s sleep or being under the weather. So they might seem OK, but if they didn’t sleep well, they can have much more trouble because they don’t have the reserves.

What causes symptoms not related to memory, like mood swings or confusion?

In about 75 percent of people with the disease, those toxic proteins spread to other parts of the brain, like those responsible for comprehension and language, which is why you have to communicate more simply as the disease progresses. It can affect the spatial area, which is why people get turned around and lost. The area that’s responsible for executive function like problem-solving and decision-making can be affected, which is why someone might pause and ponder, How do I figure out this microwave?

In addition, it can affect the limbic lobe, or our emotional brain, so they may have mood issues like anxiety, depression, restlessness and sleep issues. One common behavior when this part of the brain is affected is delusions or false beliefs — they think something happened when it really didn’t.

What are some ways to be an effective caregiver in those circumstances?

You need to change your approach. Your loved one is not going to change even if you explain something 500 times. False beliefs get fixed. If your dad thinks he’s not in his house and needs to get home, trying to bring him back to reality by saying, “My gosh, Dad, don’t be silly. This is your house. You’ve lived here 40 years,” is only going to start a fight. Instead, empathize with them. You can say, “Thank you for telling me. It’s getting late, so why don’t we just hang out here? We’ll figure it out tomorrow.” That way, you are on their side, and they feel reassured.

Also, make them feel that you are doing things together rather than making them feel bossed around. They are constantly being told, “You better go to the bathroom. You better get dressed. You better eat now.” No one likes that. Instead, try, “I’m going to the bathroom now, but would you like to go first?” Then they don’t feel singled out.

Finally, employ redirection. If it’s time to eat, but they’re in a mood or don’t want to come to the kitchen, do not insist they come to the table. Instead say, “Can you help me?” Most often they will say, “OK, what do you need?” Then you can say, “I need help in the kitchen.” And when they get there, you can say, “Let’s sit down and have dinner now.”

Dementia Caregiving

How should a caregiver deal with outbursts of anger? And how common is it for a person with dementia to lash out physically?​

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Financial Exploitation, Scams Have Skyrocketed Since Pandemic Began

Financial Exploitation, Scams Have Skyrocketed Since Pandemic Began

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AARP | October 04, 2022 | By Christina Ianzito | Financial Exploitation

AARP report reveals that criminals are targeting older Americans at record rates. Financial Exploitation.

The financial exploitation of older adults was a serious problem before the pandemic, but it’s ballooned in the years since COVID-19 began its rapid spread in March 2020. A new report from AARP finds that the rate of such exploitation between then and now has more than doubled.

That includes a huge uptick in losses from romance scams, with perpetrators stealing more than $547 million in 2021, five times greater than the amount stolen in 2019.

And these figures probably understate the number of financial fraud incidents, which are woefully underreported: Only 1 in 44 older adult victims tell the authorities when they’ve been financially exploited, according to the report. And they’re least likely to notify authorities when they’ve been victimized by someone they know and trust — something that happens more commonly than many people may realize.

“We need more consumers to report these crimes so we can better quantify how large and impactful they are, but equally important is that we help the industry spot and stop financial exploitation before the money leaves the account,” says Jilenne Gunther, national director of AARP’s BankSafe Initiative™ and lead author on the report.

Some data suggests that family members and trusted others steal more money than strangers do, with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau estimating that family members steal more than twice as much money as strangers.

Victims are often too embarrassed to come forward, blaming themselves for the financial loss. Yet “they need to understand that these crimes can happen to anyone,” notes Kathy Stokes, AARP director of fraud prevention programs.“It’s not their fault.”

The report, which AARP developed in collaboration with NORC (an independent research and data analysis organization) at the University of Chicago, examines how criminals’ tactics have evolved over the past few years, and urges the financial industry to work even harder to thwart them.

Other increasingly common crimes include

  • Thefts from users of peer-to-peer (P2P) payment apps — the increasingly popular electronic money transfer apps such as Zelle and Venmo. P2P fraud complaints doubled during the pandemic. Your funds in these accounts are not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and if you transmit money to the wrong person (easy to do if they have an @username handle similar to that of a legitimate person or entity) you have no way to get it back. A criminal might pose as someone’s bank, for instance, and request payment through a P2P app.
  • Smishing — phishing by text where criminals pretend to be legitimate businesses, such as banks, in order to find out personal information to perpetrate fraud or extract money directly. Smishing attempts increased 58 percent in the U.S. in 2021 (meanwhile, in the United Kingdom they increased a stunning 700 percent in the first six months of 2021 compared with the previous six months).

Why financial exploitation has flourished

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22 Kid-Friendly Pasta Recipes to Tempt Even the Pickiest Eaters

22 Kid-Friendly Pasta Recipes to Tempt Even the Pickiest Eaters

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22 Kid-Friendly Pasta Recipes to Tempt Even the Pickiest Eaters

MarthaStewart.com | By Kelly Vaughan | Updated August 20, 2020

If you have little kids, getting them to expand their horizons at dinnertime can be a challenge. It may seem like they won’t ever want to eat anything that isn’t macaroni and cheese or chicken nuggets, but give these kid-friendly pasta recipes a try and they’re sure to be asking for more. From hearty meat sauces to plenty of colorful, seasonal vegetables served with pasta and a cheesy, creamy sauce, these recipes are sure to please.

Start with Pasta with Zucchini, Mint, and Pecorino, pictured here. It’s a delicious dish for summer and a great way to encourage eating zucchini. One of our favorite ways to convince kids to try new vegetables is by serving them with something familiar that they know and love. Take our recipe for Cheesy Asparagus Pasta, for example. The base of the dish resembles a perfect bowl of macaroni and cheese. Short pasta such as penne is tossed in a rich sauce made from whole milk, cream cheese, sharp cheddar, and grated Gruyere. But we managed to sneak in an entire bunch of asparagus, making this the perfect kid-friendly vegetable-heavy pasta dish.

Another healthy green sneaks its way into our rich Prosciutto Carbonara—spinach! Five ounces of baby spinach is mixed with warm, cooked pasta and a silky sauce until it wilts slightly. Plenty of grated Pecorino Romano cheese and salty strips of prosciutto will surely give kids good reason to dig in.

Of course, we’re also serving up classics that everyone loves like Lasagna with Meat Sauce and our Test Kitchen’s Favorite Spaghetti and Meatballs. Next time you’re wondering what to make for dinner, consider one of these kid-friendly pasta recipes.

Pasta Recipes

Prosciutto Carbonara with Spinach

2 of 22

Prosciutto Carbonara with Spinach

VIEW RECIPE

Enjoy this easy, cream-free version of pasta carbonara—your little ones will love it, too. Instead of spaghetti, we’re using hearty rigatoni pasta, which is the perfect vessel for holding the creamy sauce made from Pecorino Romano, eggs, and pasta water.

Baked Rigatoni with Mini Meatballs

3 of 22

Baked Rigatoni with Mini Meatballs

VIEW RECIPE

Here’s a genius take on pasta with meatballs that’s sure to entice your kids. Turn the meat of spicy Italian sausage into mini meatballs. Toss them with cooked rigatoni and cubed mozzarella, then bake until bubbling and golden brown.

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Shield Insurance Blog The real reasons why your ideas at work are rejected

The real reasons why your ideas at work are rejected

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Ideas at Work

Worklife News | September 23, 2022 | by Steve Hemsley

There is a saying in business that ideas at work can come from anywhere.

That is certainly true, but in reality not everyone’s ideas at work are listened to.

According to Dr. Megan Seibel, a leadership development professional at Virginia Tech University in Blacksburg, Virginia, ideas can be rejected because of different cognitive styles within a team. Seibel is a global instructor in Kirton’s Adaption-Innovation Theory which is used to measure problem-solving, teamwork and creativity.

Some people are “adaptors,” who want to do things better at work and are happy operating within rules and routines. “Innovators” meanwhile seek to do things differently and feel constrained by corporate structures and procedures.

“Often a brilliant idea will not resonate with the rest of your team, or you may think you have the perfect solution but others do not agree,” said Seibel. “The way we generate ideas, utilize structure to implement our ideas and respond to rules and group norms is innate to each of us as individuals.”

Here are Seibel’s five reasons why someone’s ideas may be rejected because a team comprises adaptors and innovators.

The “style” of the idea at work 

Others find it hard to see the value of an idea if they have a different approach and style to problem-solving.

The “fit” of the idea at work compared to the norm:

The idea that has been suggested may not fit the current norm. 

Misunderstanding of what needs to change:

We may be working with others and think we understand the issue, only to realize at some point we were not all on the same page. 

The status of the idea at work originator:

Is the status of the person affecting others’ attitudes? Maybe an idea is coming from a junior employee.

An idea is from the “in-group” or “out-group”: 

In every organization there are groups of individuals with similar cognitive styles when it comes to solving problems. This consensus group may have an easier time building energy and agreement around certain ideas. It can be harder for individuals who fall outside of these groups to have their ideas understood and championed.

“In the workplace people behave in a certain way, and every idea either comes from an adaptive or an innovative person,” said Seibel. “It is important to know your own type and the chemistry of your team so you approach the right people at the right time to get good ideas to solve specific problems.”

According to research by cloud-based design software company Figma (whose product is used by employees at companies such as Spotify, Deliveroo and WorkLife parent company Digiday Media) how and when people suggest ideas at work can vary by demographic.

Some 33% of men and 47% of women have been too shy to voice an idea at work, and then somebody else suggests it. Some 60% of 25-34 year olds worry that their idea will be considered ‘terrible’ by colleagues. The company’s findings also reveal that 35% of people have their best ideas at home and 28% when talking to somebody else. Apparently people feel most creative on a Friday morning.

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Shield Insurance Blog - 100th Anniversary of Fire Prevention Week

100th Anniversary of Fire Prevention Week

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NFPA.org | 2022 Campaign | Fire Prevention Week

Join NFPA® in celebrating the 100th anniversary of Fire Prevention Week™ (FPW). This year’s FPW campaign, “Fire won’t wait. Plan your escape™”, works to educate everyone about simple but important actions they can take to keep themselves and those around them safe from home fires.

Today’s homes burn faster than ever. You may have as little as two minutes (or even less time) to safely escape a home fire from the time the smoke alarm sounds. Your ability to get out of a home during a fire depends on early warning from smoke alarms and advance planning.

Home fire escape planning and practicing

It is important for everyone to plan and practice a home fire escape. Everyone needs to be prepared in advance, so that they know what to do when the smoke alarm sounds. Given that every home is different, every home fire escape plan will also be different.

Have a plan for everyone in the home. Children, older adults, and people with disabilities may need assistance to wake up and get out. Make sure that someone will help them!

Smoke alarms

Smoke alarms sense smoke well before you can, alerting you to danger. Smoke alarms need to be in every bedroom, outside of the sleeping areas (like a hallway), and on each level (including the basement) of your home. Do not put smoke alarms in your kitchen or bathrooms.

Choose an alarm that is listed with a testing laboratory, meaning it has met certain standards for protection.

For the best protection, use combination smoke and carbon monoxide alarms that are interconnected throughout the home. These can be installed by a qualified electrician, so that when one sounds, they all sound. This ensures you can hear the alarm no matter where in your home the alarm originates.

Importance of fire prevention

In a fire, mere seconds can mean the difference between a safe escape and a tragedy. Fire safety education isn’t just for school children. Teenagers, adults, and the elderly are also at risk in fires, making it important for every member of the community to take some time every October during Fire Prevention Week to make sure they understand how to stay safe in case of a fire.

On this site, you’ll find loads of educational resources to make sure that every person knows what to do in case of a fire. We have everything from apps to videos to printables and much more, to make sure you have the resources you need to keep your family, your community, and your city safe.

Learn more about Fire Prevention at this great website!

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Shield Insurance Blog - Why Small Businesses Fail - Top 8 Reasons for Startup Failure

Why Small Businesses Fail: Top 8 Reasons for Startup Failure

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Learn the top 8 reasons for startup failure and keep your business from failing with these tips.

Starting a business without a legal entity? It’s time to make it official!


ZenBusiness.com | By Patricia Schaefer | September 1, 2022

Why do small businesses fail? Business failure isn’t something you want to think about when you start a business. But if you want your business to succeed, you need to know and avoid these eight common reasons why businesses fail.

According to statistics published in 2021 by the Small Business Administration (SBA), about 32% of business startups fail before two years. A little over half (51.1%) succumb to business failure within five years. By year 10, only 33.6% survive. The 15-year survival rate is 25.7%

Those statistics are rather grim. And in 2022, small business survival is an even bigger worry because of coronavirus-related declines, supply chain disruptions, and inflation.

While there’s a multitude of conditions that can result in a business failing, most years, the reason small companies go out of business is usually that they make one or more common mistakes.

Here are the top eight reasons for business failure and what you can do to avoid them.

Why Small Businesses Fail

1. You start your business for the wrong reasons

The reason for business failure is often tied to the reason the owner started the business. Is your primary reason for starting your own business the desire to make a lot of money? Do you think that if you have your own business you’d have more time with your family? Or maybe that you wouldn’t have to answer to anyone else? While those are benefits some successful entrepreneurs achieve after years of hard work, they aren’t necessarily reasons to start a business.

The right reasons for starting a company — reasons that lead to building a successful company — include these:

  • You have a passion and love for what you’ll be doing and strongly believe — based on educated study and investigation — that your product or service would fulfill a real need in the marketplace.
  • You have drive, determination, patience, and a positive attitude. When others throw in the towel, you are more determined than ever.
  • Failures don’t defeat you. You learn from your mistakes and use these lessons as business tips to help you succeed the next time around. Studies of successful business owners have shown they attributed much of their success to “building on earlier failures” and on using failures as a “learning process.”
  • You thrive on independence and are skilled at taking charge when a creative or intelligent solution is needed. This is especially important when under strict time constraints.
  • You like — if not love — your fellow man, and show this in your honesty, integrity, and interactions with others. You get along with and can deal with all different types of individuals.

RELATED: How to Start a Business

2. There’s no market or too small of a market

The best business ideas will fail if there isn’t a market for what you sell, or if the market suddenly disappears because of economic changes or natural disasters.  While you can’t predict disasters, before you start a business you need to determine if there’s a market for what you plan to sell and if that market is big enough to be profitable. Keep in mind that “everyone” isn’t a market. The market must be an identifiable group of customers you’ll be able to reach with the marketing dollars and resources you’ll have available.

To avoid business failure after startup, business owners need to keep tabs on their market and customers’ changing needs on an ongoing base, as well.

3. Poor Management

Many a report on business failures cites poor management as the number one reason for failure. New business owners frequently lack relevant business and management expertise in areas such as finance, purchasing, selling, production, and hiring and managing employees. If the business owner doesn’t recognize what they don’t do well and seek help, the company may fail and go out of business. To remedy the problem, small business owners can educate themselves on skills they lack, hire skilled employees, or outsource work to competent professionals.

Neglect of a business can also be its downfall. It’s important to regularly study, organize, plan, and control all activities of your business operations. This includes the continuing study of market research and customer data, an area that may be more prone to disregard once a business has been established.

A successful manager is also a good leader who creates a work climate that encourages productivity. They have a skill at hiring competent people and training them, and they’re able to delegate. A good leader is also skilled at strategic thinking, able to make a vision a reality, and able to confront change, make transitions, and envision new possibilities for the future.

4. Insufficient Capital

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A beginner's guide to buying home insurance

A beginner’s guide to buying home insurance

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Shield Blog | Home Insurance | Start A Quote Today!

Home insurance isn’t an option — it’s a necessity. Nearly all mortgage lenders require borrowers to purchase homeowners insurance before financing a residential real estate transaction.

FOX Business | By Josephine Nesbit | Published April 27, 2021 3:23 pm EDT

Insurance can be complicated. Homeowners need to be prepared and make sure they are adequately insured. Here’s a buyer’s guide for first-time homeowners on the basics of home insurance and finding the plan that offers the right insurance coverage for you.

What should I look for when buying home insurance?

Buyers can adjust their insurance policy to fit their insurance coverage needs. When buying homeowners insurance, you should have enough coverage to:

  1. Rebuild your home
  2. Replace your personal belongings
  3. Cover injuries and damages that occur on your property
  4. Pay your living expenses if your house is uninhabitable

What does home insurance cover?

Here are the different types of coverage from a standard home insurance policy:

1. Dwelling 

Dwelling coverage helps rebuild or repair the home’s structure if damaged by a covered event. Dwelling coverage should equal the cost to replace your home. This can be calculated by speaking with an insurance agent or an appraiser.

2. Personal property

This applies to everything in your home besides the structure itself if your personal belongings are destroyed, vandalized, or stolen. 

You should have enough coverage to replace all of your belongings. This can be calculated by keeping a home inventory of everything you own and their actual cash value. More expensive items may also require additional coverage.

3. Liability

Liability coverage covers you against lawsuits for injury or property damage caused by you, family members, or pets to other people. Common liability claims include:

  • Dog bites
  • Intoxicated guests
  • Accidents
  • Falling trees
  • Injured domestic workers

No-fault medical coverage is also included. This covers the medical expenses of guests injured on your property.

4. Additional living expenses

If your home is uninhabitable, additional living expenses will cover your temporary displacement such as hotel bills and eating out. 

There are also different types of homeowners insurance for various property types and insurance coverage needs. This includes:

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Shield Insurance Blog You Can Store Medical Records on Your Phone. Is That Healthy

You Can Store Medical Records on Your Phone. Is That Healthy?

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Hunting down medical records is enough to give anyone a migraine.

By Edward C. Baig | AARP | September 14, 2022

Encrypted electronic medical records option for iPhones, Androids weren’t possible a decade ago

You likely see a primary care physician, and as you get older, perhaps one or more specialists. But these doctors may not all be part of the same health care system.

Meanwhile, a separate laboratory or clinic may handle your bloodwork. Your last surgical procedure took place in a hospital. You’ve gone elsewhere for immunizations and to fill prescriptions.

Worse, office workers at your health care providers are overstretched, and at times you must navigate a bureaucratic maze to reach someone who can help. While you might be able to chase down your records online, each doctor group may have a separate web-based patient portal.

Still, you can probably find many of your medical records more easily than you could a decade ago, when almost two-thirds of physicians were using fax machines to share information. That’s because of a 2009 federal law, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, that dispensed incentives to providers for digitizing health records and then, seven years later, penalized large hospitals that hadn’t adapted.

In 2016, the 21st Century Cures Act continued to smooth the way for electronic health information sharing, and consumers are just now seeing the results of that law. Yet even today, your electronic medical records are all over the place.

Apple prescribes a new, personalized path for medial reords

Apple set out to address the epidemic of scattered health records in 2018 by letting people with an iPhone download those records into the Health app on their phone. Nowadays, the health records feature on the iPhone is available to patients at more than 800 institutions with more than 12,000 locations in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, the company says.

How it works: A direct, encrypted connection is created between participating providers and a patient’s iPhone so people can get a centralized view of their allergies, clinical vitals, conditions, immunizations, lab results, medication records and procedures in one place.

The feature is based on something called Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR), a standard for the sharing of electronic medical records among different computer systems. Apple says its Health app data is never shared with any third party without the user’s explicit permission.

Android has alternatives in others’ apps

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