New COVID-19 Antibody Testing Codes from AMA

CMS releases updated billing and coding FAQs for COVID-19

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April 15, 2020

CMS updated it’s novel coronavirus (COVID-19) billing and coding FAQs on April 9 to mirror recent rules, new waivers, and emergency regulations. The new and updated FAQs address payment for specimen collection, diagnostic laboratory services, and health facility services which include brief enlargement web sites.

Independent laboratories will be paid for specimen collection from beneficiaries who’re homebound or inpatients no longer in a health center under positive situations. This consists of a specimen series fee and fees for transportation and employee prices. The nominal specimen series price for COVID-19 trying out for homebound and nonhospital inpatients is $23.46.

Hospital-brief-growth websites are considered company-based; but, CMS has waived the company-based necessities at 413.65 and there aren’t any extra enrollment necessities for transient growth websites. Excepted provider-primarily based departments may additionally retain to invoice with modifier -PO and nonexcepted provider-based totally departments have to retain to bill with modifier -PN.

Hospitals might also begin billing for offerings furnished of their surge places or growth websites beneath their current CMS certification number. No additional enrollment moves are required.

Ambulatory surgical facilities (ASC) may issuer clinic inpatient offerings under association for a clinic or they will become provider-based totally to a medical institution. If an ASC enrolls as a clinic it should feature as a sanatorium supplying inpatient and outpatient offerings and follow any sanatorium Conditions of Participation that have no longer been waived. ASCs that join as hospitals will not be required to post a full Medicare cost record. ACSs that don’t provide medical institution services under an arrangement or do now not enroll as a hospital themselves can also best offer services at the ASC protected strategies listing.

The FAQ also addresses questions precise to rural health clinics and federally qualified fitness centers, telehealth services, and greater.

Medicare updates for Providers for COVID-19

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April 15, 2020

Guidance for Processing Attestation Statements from Ambulatory Surgical Centers (ASC) Temporarily Enrolling as Hospitals for the duration of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency

On April 3, CMS published a Memorandum to state survey business enterprise directors concerning how ASCs can briefly join as a sanatorium for the duration of the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE). The memo discusses the authority created through the 1135 emergency waiver to allow for these flexibilities as well as the process for operating with the MAC to enroll as a sanatorium during the PHE.

Effective date: Immediately. This policy should be communicated with all survey and certification groups of workers, their managers, and the nation/local workplace education coordinators straight away. This steerage will cease to be in effect while the Secretary determines there may be no longer a public health emergency because of COVID-19. At that time, CMS will send a public note that this steering has ceased to be powerful through its website.

Quarterly Update for Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule and Laboratory Services Subject to Reasonable Charge Payment

On April 3, CMS posted Medicare Claims Processing Transmittal 10033, which rescinds and replaces Transmittal 10026, dated April 1, to revise the coverage phase eliminating the CLFS reporting length is not on time verbiage. This transmittal is no longer sensitive and can now be published on the internet.

Effective date: April 1, 2020
Implementation date: April 6, 2020

Quarterly Update to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Database (MPFSDB) – April 2020 Update

On April 6, CMS posted Medicare Claims Processing Transmittal 10039, which rescinds and replaces Transmittal 4540, dated February 27, to make MPFSDB record revisions for COVID-19. Updates for codes G2023, G2024, 87635, 98966, 98967, 98968, 99441, 99442, and 99443 have been added to the April 2020 MPFSDB replace file and are listed in the CR attachment. The original transmittal was issued regarding an update to charge files for the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule.

On February 27, CMS posted a revised MLN Matters 11661 to accompany the transmittal.

Effective date: January 1, 2020
Implementation date: April 6, 2020

2021 Medicare Advantage and Part D Rate Announcement

On April 6, CMS published the 2021 Medicare Advantage and Part D Rate Announcement. CMS finalized modifications to the methodologies used to pay MA agencies, PACE corporations, and Part D sponsors. This consists of the continuing phase-in of the 2020 CMS-Hierarchical Condition Categories (HCC) model, underneath which CMS will calculate risk ratings for 2021 bills based totally on 75% of the hazard rating calculated with the 2020 CMS-HCC version and 25% of the hazard rating calculated with the 2017 CMS-HCC version. The charge statement also consists of information on adjustments to big name rankings, stumble upon records/RAPS facts hazard scores, and extra.
CMS posted a Fact Sheet at the equal date to accompany the rate announcement.

Non-Emergent, Elective Medical Services, and Treatment Recommendations

On April 7, up to date its Recommendations on suspending non-crucial surgeries and strategies for the duration of the general public fitness emergency. These suggestions have a tiered framework to prioritize offerings and take care of those who need it maximum, and it consists of a listing of key issues for providers while making those choices.

Claim Status Category and Claim Status Codes Update

On April 10, CMS published Medicare Claims Processing Transmittal 10045, which rescinds and replaces Transmittal 4460, dated November 15, 2019, to replace the WPC website records in the historical past section. The authentic transmittal turned into issued regarding updates to claim reputation class and declare popularity codes.

On April 10, CMS revised MLN Matters 11467 to accompany the transmittal.

Effective date: April 1, 2020
Implementation date: April 6, 2020

Source: Medicare Insider | April 15, 2020

AHIMA Webinar Brings Coders Up to Speed on COVID-19 Coding

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April 13, 2020

Click here to register for the webinar.

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The estimated reading time is less than a minute.

AHIMA has launched an on-demand webinar designed to help outpatient coders get up to speed on inpatient COVID-19 coding.

“Inpatient COVID-19 Coding and CDI Training: Cross-train your outpatient coder” will be presented by Maria Ward, MEd, RHIA, CCS, CCS-P, director, HIM practice excellence at AHIMA, and Melissa Potts, RN, BSN, CCDS, CDI practitioner, HIM practice excellence, CDI/nurse planner at AHIMA.

The presenters will discuss how coding guidelines differ between inpatient and outpatient settings, as well as using COVID-19 guidelines and ICD-10-CM codes appropriately.

Webinar listeners will learn how to:

Identity related conditions and accurately assign and sequence the ICD-10-CM codes
Apply appropriate ICD-10-PCS codes for mechanical ventilation
Describe MS-DRGs and learn how COVID-19 affects them

Waive Cost Sharing on Applicable Claims Using Modifier CS

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April 13, 2020

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The implementation of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act waives cost-sharing (coinsurance and deductibles) for COVID-19 testing-related services. The Act is a bit convoluted (as most Acts are) so the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) breaks down what it all means for Medicare Part B claims in a special edition of MLN Connects, released on April 7.

Here’s What You Need to Know

The following guidelines pertain to evaluation and management (E/M) services that result in the administration or ordering of COVID-19 lab tests by an outpatient provider, physician, or other providers and suppliers billing under Medicare Part B. This means that to waive cost-sharing, the E/M visit must result in one of the following COVID-19 lab tests being ordered or administrated:

U0001 CDC 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-ncov) real-time rt-pcr diagnostic panel
U0002 2019-ncov coronavirus, sars-cov-2/2019-ncov (covid-19), any technique, multiple types or subtypes (includes all targets), non-cdc
87635 Infectious agent detection by nucleic acid (DNA or RNA); severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (Coronavirus disease [COVID-19]), amplified probe technique

Note: The American Medical Association released two new testing CPT® codes after CMS published the MLN Connects SE: 86328 and 86769. As such, CMS does not address these codes in provider education.

CMS further outlines that cost-sharing is waived for qualifying E/M services dated March 18 through the end of the public health emergency. This guideline applies to any of the following E/M services, so long as the criteria for the visit is met:

Office and other outpatient services
Hospital observation services
Emergency department services
Nursing facility services
Domiciliary, rest home, or custodial care services
Home services
Online digital evaluation and management services

Furthermore, cost-sharing is waived for a qualifying E/M service to any of the following:

Hospital outpatient departments paid under the outpatient prospective payment system
Physicians and other professionals under the physician fee schedule
Critical access hospitals
Rural health clinics
Federally qualified health centers

When to Use Modifier CS

For the aforementioned services billed to their respective payment systems, append modifier CS Cost-sharing for specified covid-19 testing-related services that result in an order for or administration of a covid-19 test on applicable claim lines to identify the service as subject to the cost-sharing wavier for COVID-19 testing-related services. In addition, CMS advises that you should NOT charge Medicare patients any co-insurance and/or deductible amounts for these services.

Providers may also retroactively resubmit applicable professional claims with modifier CS from March 18 and beyond so long as they contact their Medicare Administrative Contractor beforehand. Institutional claims may also be resubmitted with modifier CS appended to receive 100 percent payment.

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Hospices See COVID-19 Relief

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April 13, 2020

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Aid comes in the form of volunteers, assessment deadlines, and more.

Hospices’ new ability to use face-to-face physician encounters performed via telehealth for recertifications is a major step. But Medicare is offering relief in other areas as well.

“The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services [CMS] is taking historic and unprecedented steps to equip the American healthcare system with maximum flexibility to respond to the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic,” CMS said in a recent release.

CMS will waive requirements in these areas for hospices:

Volunteers: CMS is waiving the requirement that hospices are required to use volunteers (including at least 5 percent of patient care hours). “Hospice volunteer availability and use will be reduced related to COVID-19 surge and potential quarantine,” CMS anticipates.
Comprehensive Assessments: CMS is waiving time frames for updates to the comprehensive assessment. “Hospices must continue to complete the required assessments and updates,” CMS instructs. But the time frames for updating the assessment may be extended from 15 to 21 days.
Non-Core Services: CMS is waiving the requirement for hospices to provide certain non-core hospice services during the national emergency, namely physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech-language pathology.
Aide Supervision: CMS is waiving the requirements for a nurse to conduct an onsite supervisory visit every two weeks. “This would include … an onsite visit every two weeks to evaluate if aides are providing care consistent with the care plan, as this may not be physically possible for a period of time,” CMS states.

“Section 1135 of the Social Security Act gives the [Health and Human Services] Secretary broad waiver power during national or local emergencies to waive almost any requirement of the vast regulatory scheme (with or without an act of Congress),” points out attorney Brian Daucher with Sheppard Mullin. “So if providers have been unable to timely complete recertification, or have faced any other circumstances precluding full compliance, hospices should still continue to bill for rendered services,” Daucher advises on the firm’s hospice law blog.

“In short, hospices should do whatever is necessary in real time to care for their patients,” Daucher suggests. “Regulatory compliance should be followed where possible, but the inability to do so should not necessarily be deemed a reason not to provide services.”

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Who Has The Cheapest Renters Insurance Quotes in Wisconsin?

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April 13, 2020

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Renters insurance doesn’t cost much, but it can save you thousands of dollars if your belongings suffer accidental damage at home. We collected dozens of quotes and evaluated five top Wisconsin insurers to find the best, most affordable option in the state.

Compare Renters Insurance Quotes from Providers in Wisconsin

The best price for renters insurance in Wisconsin is $11 per month, but we don’t recommend buying coverage based on price alone. Coverage options and customer service are equally important.

Best renters insurance for most people: State Farm

State Farm has the best overall mix of affordable prices, dependable customer service and useful optional coverages.

Read our full review of State Farm insurance

The good:

Lowest prices in the state
Well-rated customer service

The bad:

Not as many useful extra coverage options

State Farm is our recommendation for most renters insurance shoppers in Wisconsin. It had the lowest prices of any company we looked at, plus solid customer service ratings and good coverage options.

The average price we found from State Farm was $11 per month. That’s 30% lower than average among all the insurers we considered and 44% lower than the most expensive rate we found.

Customer service from State Farm is great, too. State Farm has a Complaint Index of 0.38 from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). This means it received just 38% as many complaints as a typical insurer and suggests that customers were usually satisfied with their service. J.D. Power also gave it a score of 850/1,000 in its renters insurance satisfaction survey, which was among the best ratings of any insurer nationwide.

The only relative downside to State Farm is that its coverage options are good, but not great. It has some useful optional coverages, like valuable items coverage and extended liability; however, it’s lacking in others we think may be beneficial to some renters, such as replacement cost coverage and equipment breakdown.

Best coverage options: Travelers

Travelers has the best selection of coverage options for Wisconsin renters.

Read our full review of Travelers.

The good:

Lots of useful optional coverages

The bad:

Higher-than-average rates
Must buy the policy in annual installments

For renters who have very particular coverage needs that our top pick can’t meet, we recommend Travelers Insurance. That company had the best overall selection of optional coverages we found in Wisconsin.

There are a lot of options to choose from at Travelers. You can add equipment breakdown coverage, which pays for the cost to repair an appliance that stops working, as well as valuable items coverage and replacement cost coverage.

However, Travelers’ rates are above average — even without the extra coverages added on. We found a typical price of about $16 per month, which is just slightly above average among the insurers we considered. And any optional coverages you include will raise your rate even more.

Frustratingly, Travelers also requires you to pay your bill in annual installments, rather than on a monthly basis. That means that instead of paying about $16 once a month, you have to pay $186 once per year. While the net cost works out to be only slightly higher than other companies we looked at, the larger one-time payment may make it a more difficult burden for some renters.

Customer service from Travelers is also only mediocre. It has a Complaint Index from the NAIC of 0.50. While that means it received only half as many complaints as a typical insurer nationwide, it’s significantly worse than State Farm’s score. And J.D. Power gave it a 796 rating out of 1,000, which also doesn’t measure up to State Farm.

Runner-up for low prices: Allstate

Allstate’s prices were almost as affordable as what we found at our top pick.

Read our full review of Allstate.

The good:

Rates are almost as affordable as our top pick’s

The bad:

Mediocre coverage and service

For renters focused on affordability who can’t get a good rate from State Farm, we recommend Allstate. Its prices were almost as competitive as our top pick’s, though its service and coverage options aren’t as strong.

The average rate we found at Allstate was about $13 per month. That’s 14% lower than the typical rate statewide, though $2 per month higher than our top pick.

Unfortunately, price is the main benefit of going with Allstate. It has middle-of-the-road customer service, with a 0.51 Complaint Index from the NAIC. That’s worse than either of our two top picks.

Coverage options from Allstate are similarly lackluster. It only offers two optional choices beyond the basics, neither of which are particularly rare or useful: identity theft coverage and extended liability coverage. Both of these are readily available at other insurers, though State Farm lacks identity theft.

How we chose the best renters insurance companies in Wisconsin

When evaluating the best Wisconsin renters insurance companies, we considered three key factors: affordability, coverage options and customer service.

Affordability: Are the rates the insurer charges competitive with other local insurers?
Coverage options: Does the insurer have a good mix of coverage options?
Customer service: Are customers usually satisfied with the service they receive?

Affordability: Finding cheap renters insurance in Wisconsin

The average price we found for renters insurance in Wisconsin was $15 per month, though some insurers were cheaper than others. State Farm offered a price of just $11, a rate 44% cheaper than the most expensive option we found. Over the course of a year, that adds up to a savings of $98.

Here’s our full breakdown of the cheapest renters insurance companies in Wisconsin:

Bar chart comparing the most affordable options for renters insurance in Wisconsin

Insurer	Monthly cost	% difference from average
Average	$15	—
State Farm	$11	-30%
Allstate	$13	-14%
Travelers	$16	2%
Liberty Mutual	$18	19%
Farmers	$19	23%

Our selected levels of coverage were:

Personal property coverage: $30,000
Liability coverage: $100,000
Medical payments coverage: $1,000
Deductible: $500
Loss of use: $0

Coverage options: Comparing renters insurance policies and benefits

No two renters have the same coverage needs: Some people might want extra protection for valuables, while others may benefit from equipment breakdown coverage. So when we evaluated optional coverages, we looked for companies that provide a wide range of useful coverage options.

Some especially useful options for Wisconsin renters include:

Replacement cost coverage: Pays for the full cost to replace a destroyed or stolen item, without factoring in depreciation.
Valuable/scheduled items coverage: Boosts coverage for expensive or valuable items you own, like jewelry, electronics or musical instruments, which may have limited coverage under a standard policy.
Mechanical breakdown coverage: Pays to repair appliances and other equipment that malfunctions due to normal use.
Water backup coverage: Pays for damage to property due to water backup.

In addition, every insurer we looked at offered all of the following basic protections. If you’re looking at an insurer that is missing any of these, consider that a red flag and look for another insurer instead.

Personal property coverage: Pays to repair or replace items that are damaged, stolen or destroyed from a covered peril.
Additional living expenses: Pays for a hotel or other temporary living arrangement if your home is uninhabitable due to a covered peril.
Liability coverage: Pays monetary damages to others that you’re responsible for, such as if your dog injures a guest.
Medical payments coverage: Pays for medical care of guests who are injured at your home, regardless of who is at fault. Pays out before liability coverage goes into effect.

Customer service: Evaluating insurer quality in service and claims

Picking a renters insurance company with strong customer service is essential, especially when you’re buying a policy or making a claim. An insurer with good customer service will be there to answer questions and resolve issues, while one without it will have frustrating delays.

To evaluate customer service among Wisconsin renters insurance companies, we considered three main sources of information: the National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ Complaint Index, J.D. Power’s renters insurance satisfaction survey and AM Best’s Financial Strength Rating.

Insurer	NAIC Complaint Index	J.D. Power rating	AM Best FSR
Allstate	0.51	814	A+
Farmers	0.37	808	A
Liberty Mutual	0.66	792	A
State Farm	0.38	850	A++
Travelers	0.50	796	A++

What each rating means

NAIC Complaint Index: This number compares the number of complaints an insurer has received to its size. A smaller number indicates fewer complaints and suggests that renters are more likely to be satisfied with their insurer. The national average is 1.00.
J.D. Power ratings: This score is based on J.D. Power’s national renters insurance satisfaction survey. Ratings are on a 1,000-point scale, and a higher number indicates greater overall satisfaction. The national average score is 831.
AM Best FSR: This letter grade evaluates an insurer’s overall financial health. Grades range from A++ to D, and a higher grade indicates that the company has a better ability to pay claims, even in times of high claim demand (like after a natural disaster) or economic downturn.

Wisconsin renters insurance: Costs by city

What you’ll pay for renters insurance can change based on where you live. Renters who live in areas with low crime might pay less, while renters who live far from a fire department might pay more. Here’s our city-by-city renters insurance breakdown for Wisconsin.

City	Average cost	% difference from average
State average	$15	—
Milwaukee	$18	16%
Madison	$16	4%
Green Bay	$16	2%
Kenosha	$18	17%
Racine	$16	7%
Eau Claire	$15	-2%
West Allis	$16	4%
Waukesha	$15	-1%
Oshkosh	$14	-7%
La Crosse	$15	1%
Appleton	$14	-7%
Janesville	$15	-2%
Sheboygan	$15	-4%
Wauwatosa	$16	5%
Fond du Lac	$14	-6%
Greenfield	$15	0%
Wausau	$15	0%
Oak Creek	$15	-1%
Beloit	$15	-2%
Fitchburg	$15	-3%
Sun Prairie	$14	-6%
Stevens Point	$14	-4%
Manitowoc	$14	-7%
Superior	$15	2%
West Bend	$15	-4%

Renters insurance costs change depending on what state you live in, too. To see how the cost of renters insurance varies by state, see our national study of renters insurance costs.

Methodology

To find the best renters insurance companies in Wisconsin, we evaluated five top insurers and gathered quotes for 25 cities across the state. All quotes are based on a sample renter profile of a 30-year-old man who lives alone and has no recent renters claims. He’s protected himself with $30,000 of personal property coverage with a $500 deductible, plus $500,000 of liability protection.

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Hospital Labs to Share COVID-19 Data

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April 9, 2020

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U.S. hospitals recently received a letter from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), on behalf of Vice President Michael Pence, requesting they report their COVID-19-related data. This data request is two-fold.

What Data Must Hospitals Report?

First, the hospitals should report their data on COVID-19 testing performed in their Academic/University/Hospital ‘in-house’ laboratories, to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), according to the vice president’s letter.

Secondly, the hospitals should report to the Centers for Disease and Prevention’s National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) COVID-19 Patient Impact and Hospital Capacity Module daily data of the counts of patients with suspected and confirmed COVID-19 diagnoses. This should include their current use and availability of hospital beds and mechanical ventilators.

The NHSN is the nation’s most widely used healthcare-associated infection (HAI) tracking system. The COVID-19 Module is new and became available for hospitals to use starting on March 27, 2020.

“Although most hospitals already regularly submit data to NHSN on healthcare-associated infections for purposes of CMS reporting, the data we are now asking you to report is necessary in monitoring the spread of severe COVID-19 illness and death as well as the impact to hospitals,” said Pence in the letter. “The data will help us better understand disease patterns and develop policies for prevention and control of health problems related to COVID-19.”

Data Will Not Include PHI

When reporting COVID-19 data, hospitals should not include patients’ personal identifying information in order to protect the patients’ privacy, according to a recent CMS press release.

COVID-19 Data Could Hold the Cure

This COVID-19 data request to hospitals is vital because it is a piece of the COVID-19 data puzzle that does not exist yet. Although the White House Coronavirus Task Force has already been compiling COVID-19 data from public health labs and private lab companies, they do not yet have the data from hospitals labs that perform their own lab testing.

“The nation’s nearly 4,700 hospitals have access to testing data that’s updated daily. This data will help us better support hospitals to address their supply and capacity needs, as well as strengthen our surveillance efforts across the country,” said CMS Administrator Seema Verma in a recent press release. “America’s hospitals are demonstrating incredible resilience in this unprecedented situation, and we look forward to partnering further with them going forward.”

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The Best Cheap Renters Insurance in Massachusetts

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April 9, 2020

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Renters insurance only costs a few dollars a month but can save you thousands if the worst ever happens. We collected dozens of quotes from across Massachusetts to find the best, most affordable options for renters to protect their belongings.

Compare Renters Insurance Quotes from Providers in Massachusetts

The cheapest rate we found for coverage in Massachusetts was just $14 per month, but we don’t recommend buying on price alone. That’s why we evaluate insurers’ coverage options and customer service, too.

Best renters insurance for most people: Amica

Amica had the lowest prices we found for renters insurance in the state and has impeccable customer service.

Read our full review of Amica.

The good:

Very affordable prices
Top-notch customer service

The bad:

Fewer options for additional coverage

Amica is our recommendation for most renters insurance shoppers in Massachusetts because it has the best overall mix of price, service and coverage options.

Amica was the cheapest option for renters insurance we found in Massachusetts — the average rate was just $14 per month. That’s 14% cheaper than average, and $6 less than the most expensive company.

Customer service from Amica was well regarded, too. It has a 0.22 Complaint Index from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, meaning it received just 22% as many complaints as a typical insurer when adjusted for size.

Amica has good, but not perfect, optional coverages. It offers three, all of which are among the options we think will appeal most to renters: replacement cost coverage, valuable items protection and identity theft protection. However, it doesn’t have other extras like equipment breakdown or water backup; for those, take a look at Travelers, our pick for best coverage options.

Runner-up for low price: GEICO

GEICO’s rates were nearly as affordable as our top pick.

Read our full review of GEICO.

The good:

Rates nearly as low as our top pick

The bad:

No optional coverages
Policy not actually managed by GEICO

For renters who can’t get a good rate from our top pick, we recommend GEICO — with a few qualifications.

GEICO’s average rates were only a few cents more per month than Amica for the same amount of coverage: just $14 per month, on average. That worked out to be 12% less than the average across all insurers.

However, GEICO offered essentially no optional coverages at all: You can adjust your property, liability and loss of use coverages, but that’s it. Renters who are considering any supplemental protections at all should skip GEICO.

Additionally, while GEICO is a highly reputable insurance company, it doesn’t actually manage renters insurance policies itself. While you can buy a policy on GEICO.com, GEICO will instead match you with one of its partner companies. And there’s no way to choose a company, or even know which you’re assigned to, before you buy. This makes it impossible to determine how good your real insurer’s customer service will be.

Best coverage options: Travelers

Travelers has a better package of coverage options than any other insurer we looked at.

Read our full review of Travelers.

The good:

More coverage options than any other company we considered

The bad:

Higher rates than average
Requires 12-month upfront payment

For renters who are willing to pay more for a company that offers a wide range of coverage options, we recommend Travelers. It has more choices for optional coverages than any other company, though its rates are much higher than our top pick.

Travelers has nearly every optional coverage a renter in Massachusetts might want. This includes replacement cost coverage, water backup and identity theft, as well as valuable items coverage. You can even buy mechanical breakdown coverage, which pays to repair broken appliances like a dishwasher or oven, if they stop working.

Rates at Travelers were considerably higher, though. Even without any extra coverages, Travelers was one of the pricier options we looked at: We found an average of $17 per month, and any add-ons will raise the price even more.

Plus, Travelers only sells renters insurance in annual installments. That means that instead of paying $17 each month, you have to pay $204 once per year. This large lump sum of cash due all at once may not be feasible for all renters.

How we chose the best renters insurance companies in Massachusetts

When evaluating renters insurance companies in Massachusetts, we considered three main factors: affordability, coverage options and customer service.

Affordability: Does the company charge reasonable rates for coverage, especially compared to other insurers?
Coverage options: Do they have a wide variety of useful coverage options?
Customer service: Are customers usually happy with the service they receive?

Affordability: Finding cheap renters insurance in Massachusetts

The average price we found for renters insurance in Massachusetts is $16 per month, but some companies charge even less. The cheapest rates we found were from Amica and GEICO, where you can pay just $14 per month for $30,000 of property coverage. That’s 31% cheaper than the most expensive option we found, Liberty Mutual.

See our full breakdown of the best rates for renters insurance in Massachusetts, below.

Insurer	Average cost	% difference from average
Average	$16	—
Amica	$14	-14%
GEICO	$14	-12%
Assurant	$16	0%
Travelers	$17	3%
Liberty Mutual	$20	23%

Our selected levels of coverage were:

Personal property coverage: $30,000
Liability coverage: $100,000
Medical payments coverage: $1,000
Deductible: $500
Loss of use: $0

Coverage options: Comparing renters insurance policies and benefits

Every renter has a unique set of coverage needs. So when evaluating coverage options from renters insurance companies, we looked for a broad range of coverage options that will appeal to a variety of apartment dwellers.

A few coverages we liked for Massachusetts renters:

Replacement cost coverage: Pays for the full cost to replace or repair a destroyed or stolen item, without considering depreciation.
Valuable items coverage: Boost protection for expensive goods like electronics, jewelry and musical instruments, which may have limited coverage under a standard plan.

In addition, every renters insurance company we looked at offered the following basic coverages. If your renters insurance company is missing any of the following, it may be time to switch:

Personal property coverage: Pays to repair or replace property that’s stolen, damaged or destroyed by a covered peril.
Additional living expenses: Pays for a hotel room or other temporary lodging if your home is uninhabitable due to a covered peril.
Liability coverage: Pays for financial damages to others that you are legally responsible for, such as if your dog injures someone.
Medical payments coverage: Pays for medical care of guests who are injured while at your home, regardless of who is at fault. Goes into effect before liability coverage.

Customer service: Evaluating insurer quality in service and claims

Great customer service is crucial from your renters insurance company, especially while you’re buying your policy and making a claim. Good customer service means you’ll have answers and support whenever you need it; bad service can make both experiences frustrating and longer than they need to be.

To evaluate customer service for renters insurance companies, we used the following ratings:

Insurer	NAIC Complaint Index	J.D. Power rating	AM Best FSR
Amica	0.22	—	A+
Assurant	1.06	—	A
GEICO	—	—	A++
Liberty Mutual	0.65	792	A
Travelers	0.50	796	A++

NAIC Complaint Index: This number compares the number of complaints a company has received with its size; a lower number means fewer complaints and suggests better service. The national average score is 1.00.
J.D. Power ratings: This score is based on a national survey of renters conducted by J.D. Power asking renters how satisfied they are with their renters insurance provider.
AM Best Financial Strength Rating: This letter grade describes the overall financial health of an insurance company. Grades range from A++ to D, and a higher grade indicates a stronger financial position.

Massachusetts renters insurance: Costs by city

One major factor in determining renters insurance costs is where you live. People who live in areas with low crime rates might pay less for renters insurance, while residents of coastal towns susceptible to storms might pay more. Here’s our city-by-city breakdown of renters insurance costs.

City	Average	% difference from state average
State Average	$16	—
Boston	$18	12.37%
Worcester	$17	4.72%
Cambridge	$16	-2.92%
Springfield	$17	5.75%
Fall River	$15	-5.67%
Somerville	$15	-5.67%
New Bedford	$16	-0.37%
Quincy	$16	-0.98%
Lowell	$15	-8.11%
Lawrence	$16	0.04%
Lynn	$18	7.67%
Brockton	$17	2.18%
Malden	$15	-8.21%
Brookline	$18	7.97%
Waltham	$16	-2.10%
Framingham	$16	-3.22%
Revere	$18	12.67%
Medford	$15	-9.13%
Newton	$15	-7.81%
Haverhill	$16	-3.12%
Chicopee	$16	-3.33%
Everett	$15	-7.29%
Chelsea	$20	23.26%
Salem	$15	-5.46%
Holyoke	$16	-3.23%

The price for renters insurance varies based on what state you live in, too. To see how the cost of coverage varies across the United States, take a look at our national study of renters insurance costs.

Methodology

To find the best renters insurance in Massachusetts, we researched five major companies and found prices in 25 cities across the state. All our quotes were for a sample renter who’s 30 years old and lives by himself. He’s protected himself with $30,000 of personal property coverage with a $500 deductible, plus $500,000 of liability protection.

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TaxAct’s Free Stimulus Registration Service

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April 7, 2020

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TaxAct’s free Stimulus Registration service has been designed to help millions of Americans submit their information to the IRS in order to receive their stimulus payment (also known as the Economic Impact Payment).

Below is all the information you need to know for stimulus check registration during the coronavirus crisis.

Note: Not everyone needs to register. If you already filed or plan to file your 2019 return, you do not need to do anything extra to receive your stimulus payment.

Who needs to register using the Stimulus Registration?

You need to register if:

You are not required to file a tax return, and
You do not receive social security benefits

If both of the above apply to you, using this free Stimulus Registration service will ensure the IRS has the right information to distribute your stimulus payment. The information collected includes your name, address, filing status, dependent details (if applicable), and bank account information.

Need to register? Follow the TaxAct Stimulus Registration product’s Tax Return instructions and click get registered below to start.

Who doesn’t need to use the Stimulus Registration?

If you already filed your 2019 tax return, you do not need to use the Stimulus Registration. The same is true if you receive social security benefits. The IRS has all of the information they need, and you do not need to do anything extra.

Stimulus registration for non-filers

If you still need to file your 2019 return, TaxAct can help. Choose the TaxAct product that’s right for you and get your maximum refund, guaranteed.

Filing your return now gives the IRS the most up-to-date information to accurately calculate your stimulus payment and send it to you as soon as possible. Otherwise, the IRS will use your 2018 tax return to issue your payment.

To learn more about how you can help donate 10 million meals, visit TaxAct and Feeding America: Partnering in the Mission to End Hunger. Together we can make a difference.

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