2024年3月24日星期日

美国老年人说他们感觉被困在医疗保险优势计划(Medicare Advantage Plans)中

萨拉-简-特里布尔报道
2024 年 1 月 5 日

2016 年,理查德-蒂明斯(Richard Timmins)参加了一个免费的信息研讨会,以了解更多有关医疗保险的信息。

"蒂明斯说:"我听了保险代理人的介绍,基本上,他真的是在推销医疗保险优势计划。代理人介绍了这些计划提供的更便宜、更广泛的保险,这些计划主要由政府资助,但由私营保险公司管理。

对于现年 76 岁的 Timmins 来说,当时注册该计划具有经济意义。在一段时间内,他的决定是正确的。

三年前,他发现自己的右耳垂出现了病变。

"我有家族黑色素瘤病史。于是,我开始关注并思考这个问题,"蒂明斯说,"后来医生诊断为恶性黑色素瘤。"它开始生长,并开始变得相当疼痛"。

不过,蒂明斯发现,他加入 Premera Blue Cross 医疗保险优势计划意味着医生网络有限,而且在接受治疗前可能需要保险公司的预先批准或预先授权。他说,这种经历使他获得护理变得更加困难,现在他想转回传统的、由政府管理的医疗保险。

但他做不到。他并不孤单。

他说,"我对自己的实际医疗服务几乎没有控制权,"他补充说,他现在建议朋友们不要注册私人计划。我认为,人们并不了解 "医疗保险优势计划 "是怎么回事。

在过去的几十年里,医疗保险优势计划的参保人数大幅增长,以低廉的保费和牙科及视力保险等福利吸引了一半以上的符合条件者,主要是 65 岁或以上的老年人。随着私人计划在医疗保险患者中所占的份额激增至 3080 万人,人们对保险公司咄咄逼人的销售策略和误导性的保险索赔也产生了担忧。

像蒂明斯这样的参保者,如果在身体健康时签约,随着年龄的增长和病情的加重,就会发现自己被套牢了。

"大威斯康星州老龄资源机构的首席福利专家、主管律师 Christine Huberty 说:"人们可能会因为保费低廉甚至为零而在前端喜欢上它们,如果他们获得了一些额外的福利--视力、牙科之类的东西。

"休伯蒂说:"但当他们真正需要用它来解决这些更大的问题时,人们才会意识到,'哦,不,这根本帮不了我'。

联邦医疗保险向私人保险公司支付每名联邦医疗保险优势参保者的固定金额,在许多情况下还会支付红利,保险公司可以利用这些红利提供补充福利。休伯蒂说,这些额外的福利是 "让人们加入计划 "的一种激励措施,但这些计划随后 "限制了人们获得许多服务的机会,也限制了对更重要服务的承保"。

布朗大学公共卫生学院卫生服务、政策和实践助理教授戴维-梅耶斯分析了十年来医疗保险优势计划的参保情况,发现约有 50%的受益人(包括农村和城市)在五年后离开了他们的合同。这些参保者中的大多数都转投了另一个医疗保险优势计划,而不是传统的医疗保险。

在这项研究中,梅耶斯和他的合著者认为,更换计划可能是自由市场的一个积极迹象,但也可能预示着对医疗保险优势计划 "无法衡量的不满"。

"梅耶斯说:"问题在于,一旦你加入了'医疗保险优势计划',如果你有一些慢性病,你想离开'医疗保险优势计划',即使'医疗保险优势计划'不能满足你的需求,你也可能没有能力转回传统医疗保险。

他说,对于从医疗保险优势计划转回传统医疗保险的受益人来说,传统医疗保险可能过于昂贵。在传统的联邦医疗保险中,参保人每月支付保费,在达到免赔额后,在大多数情况下,参保人需要为其使用的每项非医院服务或项目支付 20% 的费用。梅耶斯说,如果参保者最终使用了大量的护理服务,他们可能需要支付 20% 的共同保险费用,而这部分费用是没有限制的。

为了限制自付费用,传统的联邦医疗保险参保者通常会购买补充保险,如雇主保险或私人 Medigap 保单。如果他们是低收入者,医疗补助计划可能会提供补充保险。

但是,梅耶斯说,这是有条件的: 虽然首先加入传统医疗保险的受益人可以保证有资格获得 Medigap 保单,而无需根据其病史来定价,但 Medigap 保险公司可以拒绝为从医疗保险优势计划转入的受益人提供保险,或根据医疗核保来定价。

只有四个州--康涅狄格州、缅因州、马萨诸塞州和纽约州--禁止保险公司在投保人患有糖尿病或心脏病等既存病症的情况下拒绝 Medigap 保单。

保罗-金斯伯格是医疗保险支付咨询委员会(又称 MedPAC)的前任委员。这是一个立法机构,负责就医疗保险计划向国会提供建议。他说,在开放注册期间,参保者无法在 "医疗保险优势计划 "和传统的 "医疗保险 "之间轻松转换,这是 "我们的系统中一个真正令人担忧的问题;不应该是这样的"。

联邦政府每年都会为转换计划提供特定的注册期。在 10 月 15 日至 12 月 7 日的联邦医疗保险开放注册期间,参保者可以将私人计划转为传统的、由政府管理的联邦医疗保险。

在 1 月 1 日至 3 月 31 日的另一个开放注册期,Medicare Advantage 参保者也可以更换计划或转入传统的 Medicare。

"现任南加州大学健康政策教授的金斯伯格说:"有很多人说,'嘿,我很想回来,但我不能再买 Medigap 了,否则我就得多付很多钱'。

Timmins 就是其中之一。这位退休兽医住在西雅图以北惠德贝岛上的一个农村社区。这里地势崎岖,田园风光优美,是第二居所、徒步旅行和艺术活动的胜地。但这里也有点偏僻。

蒂明斯说,虽然在农村地区找医生通常比较困难,但他认为他的 Premera Blue Cross 计划由于种种原因,包括难以找到专科医生和看专科医生,使得获得医疗服务更具挑战性。

根据最新的联邦审查,近一半的医疗保险优势计划目录中关于可提供哪些医疗服务提供者的信息不准确。从 2024 年开始,新的或扩大的医疗保险优势计划必须证明其符合联邦网络预期,否则其申请可能会被拒绝。

Premera Blue Cross 发言人 Amanda Lansford 拒绝对 Timmins 的案例发表评论。她说,该计划符合联邦网络充足性要求以及旅行时间和距离标准,"以确保会员在寻求医疗服务时不会遇到不必要的负担"。

传统的医疗保险允许受益人到美国几乎任何医生或医院就诊,在大多数情况下,参保人无需获得批准即可获得服务。

最近刚完成免疫疗法的蒂明斯说,"因为我的健康问题",他不认为自己会被批准购买 Medigap 保单。蒂明斯说,如果他要购买 Medigap 保单,费用可能会过于昂贵。

蒂明斯说,目前他仍在使用他的医疗保险优势计划。

"我年纪大了。会有更多的事情发生"。

蒂明斯说,他的癌症也有可能复发: "我非常清楚自己的死亡率"。

Older Americans Say They Feel Trapped in Medicare Advantage Plans

In 2016, Richard Timmins went to a free informational seminar to learn more about Medicare coverage.

“I listened to the insurance agent and, basically, he really promoted Medicare Advantage,” Timmins said. The agent described less expensive and broader coverage offered by the plans, which are funded largely by the government but administered by private insurance companies.

For Timmins, who is now 76, it made economic sense then to sign up. And his decision was great, for a while.

Then, three years ago, he noticed a lesion on his right earlobe.

“I have a family history of melanoma. And so, I was kind of tuned in to that and thinking about that,” Timmins said of the growth, which doctors later diagnosed as malignant melanoma. “It started to grow and started to become rather painful.”

Timmins, though, discovered that his enrollment in a Premera Blue Cross Medicare Advantage plan would mean a limited network of doctors and the potential need for preapproval, or prior authorization, from the insurer before getting care. The experience, he said, made getting care more difficult, and now he wants to switch back to traditional, government-administered Medicare.

But he can’t. And he’s not alone.

“I have very little control over my actual medical care,” he said, adding that he now advises friends not to sign up for the private plans. “I think that people are not understanding what Medicare Advantage is all about.”

Enrollment in Medicare Advantage plans has grown substantially in the past few decades, enticing more than half of all eligible people, primarily those 65 or older, with low premium costs and perks like dental and vision insurance. And as the private plans’ share of the Medicare patient pie has ballooned to 30.8 million people, so too have concerns about the insurers’ aggressive sales tactics and misleading coverage claims.

Enrollees, like Timmins, who sign on when they are healthy can find themselves trapped as they grow older and sicker.

“It’s one of those things that people might like them on the front end because of their low to zero premiums and if they are getting a couple of these extra benefits — the vision, dental, that kind of thing,” said Christine Huberty, a lead benefit specialist supervising attorney for the Greater Wisconsin Agency on Aging Resources.

“But it’s when they actually need to use it for these bigger issues,” Huberty said, “that’s when people realize, ‘Oh no, this isn’t going to help me at all.’”

Medicare pays private insurers a fixed amount per Medicare Advantage enrollee and in many cases also pays out bonuses, which the insurers can use to provide supplemental benefits. Huberty said those extra benefits work as an incentive to “get people to join the plan” but that the plans then “restrict the access to so many services and coverage for the bigger stuff.”

David Meyers, assistant professor of health services, policy, and practice at the Brown University School of Public Health, analyzed a decade of Medicare Advantage enrollment and found that about 50% of beneficiaries — rural and urban — left their contract by the end of five years. Most of those enrollees switched to another Medicare Advantage plan rather than traditional Medicare.

In the study, Meyers and his co-authors muse that switching plans could be a positive sign of a free marketplace but that it could also signal “unmeasured discontent” with Medicare Advantage.

“The problem is that once you get into Medicare Advantage, if you have a couple of chronic conditions and you want to leave Medicare Advantage, even if Medicare Advantage isn’t meeting your needs, you might not have any ability to switch back to traditional Medicare,” Meyers said.

Traditional Medicare can be too expensive for beneficiaries switching back from Medicare Advantage, he said. In traditional Medicare, enrollees pay a monthly premium and, after reaching a deductible, in most cases are expected to pay 20% of the cost of each nonhospital service or item they use. And there is no limit on how much an enrollee may have to pay as part of that 20% coinsurance if they end up using a lot of care, Meyers said.

To limit what they spend out-of-pocket, traditional Medicare enrollees typically sign up for supplemental insurance, such as employer coverage or a private Medigap policy. If they are low-income, Medicaid may provide that supplemental coverage.

But, Meyers said, there’s a catch: While beneficiaries who enrolled first in traditional Medicare are guaranteed to qualify for a Medigap policy without pricing based on their medical history, Medigap insurers can deny coverage to beneficiaries transferring from Medicare Advantage plans or base their prices on medical underwriting.

Only four states — Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, and New York — prohibit insurers from denying a Medigap policy if the enrollee has preexisting conditions such as diabetes or heart disease.

Paul Ginsburg is a former commissioner on the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, also known as MedPAC. It’s a legislative branch agency that advises Congress on the Medicare program. He said the inability of enrollees to easily switch between Medicare Advantage and traditional Medicare during open enrollment periods is “a real concern in our system; it shouldn’t be that way.”

The federal government offers specific enrollment periods every year for switching plans. During Medicare’s open enrollment period, from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7, enrollees can switch out of their private plans to traditional, government-administered Medicare.

Medicare Advantage enrollees can also switch plans or transfer to traditional Medicare during another open enrollment period, from Jan. 1 to March 31.

“There are a lot of people that say, ‘Hey, I’d love to come back, but I can’t get Medigap anymore, or I’ll have to just pay a lot more,’” said Ginsburg, who is now a professor of health policy at the University of Southern California.

Timmins is one of those people. The retired veterinarian lives in a rural community on Whidbey Island just north of Seattle. It’s a rugged, idyllic landscape and a popular place for second homes, hiking, and the arts. But it’s also a bit remote.

While it’s typically harder to find doctors in rural areas, Timmins said he believes his Premera Blue Cross plan made it more challenging to get care for a variety of reasons, including the difficulty of finding and getting in to see specialists.

Nearly half of Medicare Advantage plan directories contained inaccurate information on what providers were available, according to the most recent federal review. Beginning in 2024, new or expanding Medicare Advantage plans must demonstrate compliance with federal network expectations or their applications could be denied.

Amanda Lansford, a Premera Blue Cross spokesperson, declined to comment on Timmins’ case. She said the plan meets federal network adequacy requirements as well as travel time and distance standards “to ensure members are not experiencing undue burdens when seeking care.”

Traditional Medicare allows beneficiaries to go to nearly any doctor or hospital in the U.S., and in most cases enrollees do not need approval to get services.

Timmins, who recently finished immunotherapy, said he doesn’t think he would be approved for a Medigap policy, “because of my health issue.” And if he were to get into one, Timmins said, it would likely be too expensive.

For now, Timmins said, he is staying with his Medicare Advantage plan.

“I’m getting older. More stuff is going to happen.”

There is also a chance, Timmins said, that his cancer could resurface: “I’m very aware of my mortality.”

KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF.

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2023年10月31日星期二

美国富人家庭这样规避遗产税

 

美国富人家庭这样规避遗产税

一场前所未有的放弃财富的热潮正在兴起,而放弃财富恰恰是为了保护财富。在特朗普减税政策到期前,美国富人们纷纷利用起赠与和朝代信托。

插图绘制:ELENA SCOTTI/THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, ISTOCK, PIXELSQUID (2)
一场前所未有的放弃财富的热潮正在兴起,参与者不仅仅是亿万富翁。
特朗普在2017年推行的减税政策暂时将个人享有的免遗产税赠与额度提高了一倍,达到1,000万美元。这些减税政策将于2026年过期,促使富裕的美国人快速行动起来。
根据美国国税局(Internal Revenue Service)最近公布的统计数据,2021年,他们赠与了1,826亿美元,是前一年752亿美元赠与额的两倍多。在这些捐赠当中,有将近1,000亿美元是通过信托完成的,其中一些信托可以延续几代人。另外148亿美元捐给了慈善机构。
财务顾问表示,对于净资产超过1,000万美元的美国家庭来说,在减税政策到期前,迫切需要考虑采取一系列措施。他们面临多种选择,既可以直接赠与继承人,也可以成立复杂的信托,以保证未来几代人继续享有财富。不然的话,要避免高税收就只剩一个办法了:在减税政策到期前死掉。
“我们眼下正有一个可以进行免税资产转让的绝佳机会。”新泽西州弗洛勒姆公园镇的会计公司Wiss的注册会计师沙米萨·祖沃马(Shamisa Zvoma)说。
2017年特朗普减税政策中的1,000万美元免税额是与通货膨胀挂钩的。2023年,每个人的赠与税和遗产税免税总额达到了1,292万美元,每对已婚夫妇的免税总额为2,584万美元。这是你可以在生前或去世时赠与他人而无需纳税的金额。
Proskauer的遗产律师彼得·图奇(Peter Tucci)估计,明年的免税额度可能会调整至1,361万美元。到了2025年,每个人的免税额度可能增至1,400万美元,紧接着到2026年就一下子减少一半,至700万美元左右。
遗产规划师表示,所以2025年将是减税政策于当年12月31日到期前,利用有史以来最高的免税额度赠与财产的最后一年。
图奇表示,如果一对夫妇在减税政策于2025年底到期之前用上全部免税额度,将2,800万美元转让给他人,这意味着,如果他们在2026年去世,他们将节约560万美元的税金。如果他们跳过一代人,将这些钱赠与孙辈,那么将节约近900万美元税金。
随着时间的推移,这笔节约的税金会显著增加。当这些信托里的资金增加时,升值部分不受转让税制度的影响。因此,如果信托价值在捐赠人死亡时增加了1亿美元,按照目前40%的税率计算,这个家庭将节约4,000万美元的遗产税。这还只是联邦税的节约金额。在纽约州等额外自行征收遗产税的州,还能节约州遗产税。
根据瑞银(UBS)和瑞士信贷(Credit Suisse)经济学家的全球财富报告,净资产在1,000万至5,000万美元之间的美国人大约有150万人,净资产更高的美国人有将近12.5万人。
赠与他人以减少遗产的最简单方法是什么?
直接赠送现金或证券最简单。2023年,免税赠礼年度限额是17,000美元,2024年可能上升至18,000美元。这意味着任何人都可以向无限数量的人赠送最多17,000美元而无需纳税。这些赠礼不计入最高1,292万美元的赠与税和遗产税免税额度。
如果你赠送的金额超过了17,000美元,你通常必须填写709表格向国税局申报。
加拿大帝国商业银行私人财富管理公司(CIBC Private Wealth)驻波士顿的高级财富策略师卡罗琳·麦凯(Caroline McKay)说,她有一些客户向一大帮亲戚赠送,包括(外)孙子孙女、侄子(女)外甥(女)及其配偶,这样他们每年能从遗产中切掉数十万美元。
对于长期持有的股票已经有所升值的情况,这个问题尤为复杂。赠礼接受者的成本基数直接来自赠与者的股票原始成本,当他们出售股票的时候需要缴纳资本利得税。如果接受者适用的税率较低,那就没什么问题,否则的话,最好是持有这些股票直至死亡,届时,它们的成本基数会提高。
什么情况下需要通过信托来赠与资产?
对于面临遗产税的个人来说,将资产赠与一个朝代信托(dynasty trust)可以为孩子们保留更多的财富。麦凯说,这个信托可以将资产从你和你子女的遗产中转移出来。这些信托的受益者通常是子女,但也有孙辈和未来几代人。
信托还可以提供财产保护。图奇说,如果你把资产直接交给孩子,他们被起诉或离婚的话,就会失去部分或全部资产。相比之下,如果你把资产赠与信托,债权人较难追索信托本金。
这种信托的一个缺点是,仍需缴纳资本利得税和其他所得税,而且在捐赠者去世时,这些资产不会获得新的更高的成本基数。
特朗普减税政策到期的影响
有一种可能是较高的遗产税免税额度会延期或者永久化。布鲁金斯学会(Brookings Institution)研究税收和财政政策的高级研究员威廉·盖尔(William Gale)表示,即使民主党在拜登担任总统期间控制了国会,他们也没有降低遗产税起征点。
他说:“从历史上看,国会总是会决定任由赤字扩大。”
共和党人长期以来一直主张废除遗产税。民主党则呼吁加强这项税收:将免税额降至350万美元,将最高税率提高至77%,并在捐赠者死亡时征收资本利得税。他们还呼吁限制朝代信托。(2021年提交的联邦遗产税申报表有2,584份,带来了184亿美元的税收收入。)
图奇说:“你必须假定免税额度会下降。”他指出,如果你指望2026年的免税额度保持在1,400万美元,那就是在赌博,你可能会损失大量原本可以节省的税款。
我应该赠与多少资产?
麦凯说,你要仔细分析,确保你留下的钱足以维持自己的生活水平。她见过这样的例子:有些人因为没有留够资产,在受到通胀和市场波动影响后,就难以维持原来的生活方式了。

2023年10月2日星期一

Get at least $1.50/gallon cashback on gas with Upside mobile app!


Upside is primarily a free mobile app that provides cashback on gasoline purchases. Click https://upside.app.link/7HZAJW on your phone to download the app and then register to open an account to get started. If you are asked to enter a code when registering, enter 7HZAJW.

To maximize your cashback, open the Upside app on your phone, click on the profile icon inside the blue circle as shown below, and then select "Profile" inside the red circle.

Image 1


After clicking "Profile," you'll see the profile interface as shown below. Click on the "Edit" button inside the red circle to enter promo codes.

Image 2

Please add the following codes one by one into the promo code box (as long as you don't receive an error message, it means the code has been added). These codes together will provide you with at least $1.50 cashback per gallon. Note that each time you edit the promo code, you're adding a new code:
  • 7HZAJW (If you entered this during registration, you don't need to add it again)
  • SHOPPERS35
  • USHIP35 (This code has expired, no need to add it)
  • GOPUFF35
  • AMEX35
  • PERKSATWORK230

Then go to "My Wallet" as shown in Figure 1 and add one of your credit cards.

Once you've completed these steps, return to the main Upside interface, select "Gas," and then use the app's map to find nearby or frequently visited gas stations with lower prices. You can see the gas price information and extra cashback information of the gas stations, as shown in the image below. Image 3 displays information for two 76 gas stations near Costco.

Image 3

The price shown in the Upside app is cheaper than the price at the gas station. When you pump gas, pay using your credit card at the gas station's price. The price difference will be returned to your Upside app as cashback within 24 hours.

Remember to tap "Claim Offer" under the name of the gas station you want to use in the app just before pumping gas.

Typically, you can drive to the gas station, tap "Claim Offer," confirm, and then use the same credit card added to the app for pumping gas. Make sure to use the same credit card for payment. 

The cashback will be credited directly to your Upside app. After receiving the cashback, you can link your bank account to transfer the money out. 

After using each app account twice, the cashback for the third time will be reduced, but the prices will still be cheaper than at gas stations. You can also choose to open another app account for your family members using a different email and credit card. For new accounts, try to install the app on different phones, and then follow the above process to create a new account. The first two fill-ups on the new account will be cheap again.


2023年9月5日星期二

用Upside这个手机App加油可以拿到至少每加仑$1.50的回扣


Upside主要是一个免费的加油拿回扣的手机App。在手机上单击https://upside.app.link/7HZAJW下载App,然后注册开户就可以开始用了。注册的时候如果让输入一个code,请输入7HZAJW

为了最大限度的拿到回扣,在手机上打开Upside App,点击下图蓝色圆圈里的人形头像,然后点击红色圆圈里的Profile

图1


点击Profile以后就可以看到下图所示的Profile界面,点击红圈里的Edit就可以加入promo code了。

图2

请把下面这些code一一加到promo code框里 (只要不出错误提示就是加入了),这些code合起来给你至少每加仑$1.50的加油回扣。注意每edit一次promo code就是加入一个code:

  • 7HZAJW (注册时如果输入了,就不用再输入了)
  • SHOPPERS35
  • USHIP35 (这个code过期了,不用输入了)
  • GOPUFF35
  • AMEX35
  • PERKSATWORK230

然后去图1所示的My Wallet下加入你的一张信用卡。

做完上面这些,回到Upside的主界面, 选gas,然后用App里的地图在你附近或你常去的地方周围找便宜的加油站,就可以看到如下图所示的加油站油价信息和额外的回扣信息。图3显示的就是Costco旁边的两个76加油站的信息:

图3

Upside App显示的价钱比加油站本身的价钱要便宜,你加油的时候还是用信用卡按加油站的价钱付钱,差价会通过回扣24小时之内返回到你的Upside App里。

记住加油之前点一下App里你要用的加油站名字下的Claim Offer。

一般可以开车到了加油站,点一下Claim Offer,确认后直接用和App里加的同样的信用卡加油就可以了。记住一定要用同样的信用卡加油。

回扣直接返还到Upside App,拿到回扣后可以连接自己的银行帐号把钱转出来。

每个App账号用了两次以后,第三次给的回扣就少了,但是价钱还是比一般加油站便宜。你也可以选择用同样的方法为你的家人再开一个App账号,记住要用不同的Email和信用卡注册。新账号尽量用不同的手机安装,然后按照前面的流程选择开新的账号。新的账号头两次的加油又会很便宜了。


2023年8月29日星期二

Get at least $1.50/gallon cashback on gas with Upside mobile app!

 

Upside is primarily a free mobile app that provides cashback on gasoline purchases. Click https://upside.app.link/7HZAJW on your phone to download the app and then register to open an account to get started. If you are asked to enter a code when registering, enter 7HZAJW.

To maximize your cashback, open the Upside app on your phone, click on the profile icon inside the blue circle as shown below, and then select "Profile" inside the red circle.

Image 1

After clicking "Profile," you'll see the profile interface as shown below. Click on the "Edit" button inside the red circle to enter promo codes.

Image 2

Please add the following codes one by one into the promo code box (as long as you don't receive an error message, it means the code has been added). These codes together will provide you with at least $1.50 cashback per gallon. Note that each time you edit the promo code, you're adding a new code:
  • 7HZAJW (If you entered this during registration, you don't need to add it again)
  • SHOPPERS35
  • USHIP35 (This code has expired, no need to add it)
  • GOPUFF35
  • AMEX35
  • PERKSATWORK230

Then go to "My Wallet" as shown in Figure 1 and add one of your credit cards.

Once you've completed these steps, return to the main Upside interface, select "Gas," and then use the app's map to find nearby or frequently visited gas stations with lower prices. You can see the gas price information and extra cashback information of the gas stations, as shown in the image below. Image 3 displays information for two 76 gas stations near Costco.

Image 3

The price shown in the Upside app is cheaper than the price at the gas station. When you pump gas, pay using your credit card at the gas station's price. The price difference will be returned to your Upside app as cashback within 24 hours.

Remember to tap "Claim Offer" under the name of the gas station you want to use in the app just before pumping gas.

Typically, you can drive to the gas station, tap "Claim Offer," confirm, and then use the same credit card added to the app for pumping gas. Make sure to use the same credit card for payment. 

The cashback will be credited directly to your Upside app. After receiving the cashback, you can link your bank account to transfer the money out. 

After using each app account twice, the cashback for the third time will be reduced, but the prices will still be cheaper than at gas stations. You can also choose to open another app account for your family members using a different email and credit card. For new accounts, try to install the app on different phones, and then follow the above process to create a new account. The first two fill-ups on the new account will be cheap again.


2023年8月28日星期一

用Upside这个手机App加油可以拿到至少每加仑$1.50的回扣


Upside主要是一个免费的加油拿回扣的手机App。在手机上单击https://upside.app.link/7HZAJW下载App,然后注册开户就可以开始用了。注册的时候如果让输入一个code,请输入7HZAJW

为了最大限度的拿到回扣,在手机上打开Upside App,点击下图蓝色圆圈里的人形头像,然后点击红色圆圈里的Profile

图1


点击Profile以后就可以看到下图所示的Profile界面,点击红圈里的Edit就可以加入promo code了。

图2

请把下面这些code一一加到promo code框里 (只要不出错误提示就是加入了),这些code合起来给你至少每加仑$1.50的加油回扣。注意每edit一次promo code就是加入一个code:

  • 7HZAJW (注册时如果输入了,就不用再输入了)
  • SHOPPERS35
  • USHIP35 (这个code过期了,不用输入了)
  • GOPUFF35
  • AMEX35
  • PERKSATWORK230

然后去图1所示的My Wallet下加入你的一张信用卡。

做完上面这些,回到Upside的主界面, 选gas,然后用App里的地图在你附近或你常去的地方周围找便宜的加油站,就可以看到如下图所示的加油站油价信息和额外的回扣信息。图3显示的就是Costco旁边的两个76加油站的信息:

图3

Upside App显示的价钱比加油站本身的价钱要便宜,你加油的时候还是用信用卡按加油站的价钱付钱,差价会通过回扣24小时之内返回到你的Upside App里。

记住加油之前点一下App里你要用的加油站名字下的Claim Offer。

一般可以开车到了加油站,点一下Claim Offer,确认后直接用和App里加的同样的信用卡加油就可以了。记住一定要用同样的信用卡加油。

回扣直接返还到Upside App,拿到回扣后可以连接自己的银行帐号把钱转出来。

每个App账号用了两次以后,第三次给的回扣就少了,但是价钱还是比一般加油站便宜。你也可以选择用同样的方法为你的家人再开一个App账号,记住要用不同的Email和信用卡注册。新账号尽量用不同的手机安装,然后按照前面的流程选择开新的账号。新的账号头两次的加油又会很便宜了。

2023年7月6日星期四

Chase Ink Preferred Business Card商业信用卡100000点的开户奖励(此卡对旅游特别友好)

 


通过推荐链接(里面有几种卡可以选择,选CHASE INK PREFERRED BUSINESS申请)申请Chase Ink Preferred Business卡并得到批准以后,在三个月之内消费8000美元可获得100000点。100000点可以直接换成$1000。如果用点数在Chase旅游门户网站购买机票或订旅馆和用钱在别的地方买没区别,并且有25%的优惠,$1000就相当于$1250。

信用卡详情

  • 有95美元的年费,不能免除。
  • 没有国外交易费。
  • 有Primary汽车租赁保险,前提是因商业目的出行。这个福利是租车的时候不买保险,自己的车险不会被波及到,直接用这张卡的保险就可以;而一般信用卡的汽车租赁保险都是Secondary的,会先用自己的车险,然后才能用信用卡的保险,所以租的车有赔偿事故会影响到自己的保险信用。
  • 有$600手机保险,使用此卡付手机月费,可获得手机损坏及被盗的保险,单次赔付上限为$600,deductible是$100。
  • 有购买保护福利(Purchase Protection),既购买的商品120天内被盗或损坏可以获得最高$10000/次的赔偿。
  • 该卡可按以下比率赚钱:
  1. 旅行、邮费、网络、电信、社交网络广告、搜索引擎的消费都可得3倍(3%)积分( travel, shipping purchases, Internet, cable and phone services, advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines)。
  2. 其他所有消费可得1倍(1%)积分。
  • 点数可以转换成航空公司或旅馆的点数,也可以在家属之间转。
  • 由于有25%的旅游兑换奖励,在Chase的旅游门户网站上兑换积分的价值为1点值1.25美分。
  • Chase 5/24规则适用于此卡,就是如果你过去两年内申请过5张或以上任何银行的信用卡,则不能申请此卡。
  • 申请商业信用卡的时候可以用自己的个人SSN,只要报至少$10000商业收入就可以了。如果第二年不想接着交年费可以在第一年年底的时候关掉这张信用卡。关卡之前记住把自己赚的点数花掉或者转给别的帐号。
旅行相关的保险
  • 旅程取消/中断保险:如果您的旅行因疾病、恶劣天气和其它承保情况而被取消或缩短,您可以获得每次旅行最多5000美元的预付、不可退款的旅行费用补偿,包括客票、旅游和酒店。
  • 行李丢失保险:如果您或您的直系亲属托运或随身携带的行李因承运人损坏或丢失,每位乘客最多可获得3000美元的赔偿。
  • 行李延误保险:在客运公司行李延误超过6小时的情况下,为您报销洗漱用品和衣物等必需品的费用,5天内每天最高100美元。
  • 旅程延误补偿:如果您的普通承运人旅行延误超过12小时或需要过夜,您和您的家人可获得未报销的费用,如膳食和住宿,每张票最高500美元。
  • 旅行和紧急援助服务:如果您在外地遇到问题,请致电福利管理员,以获得法律和医疗转介或其他旅行和紧急援助(您将负责获得的任何商品或服务的费用)。

2023年5月8日星期一

Rakuten:新用户用推荐链接加入可以得到40美元的奖励

用这个推荐链接在东部时间2023年5月15日午夜之前加入Rakuten的话,可以获得$40返利奖励。


Rakuten是一个第三方购物返利网站。我以前推荐了一些我用过的,信用比较好的网站。Rakuten也是其中一个我用得比较多的。

下面是这次返利奖励的注意事项:
  • 点击推荐链接到达Rakuten的页面,然后在Rakuten页面上点击Join Now链接成功注册为Rakuten的新会员。
  • 要得到$40的开户奖励,你需要在开户90天内登录进入Rakuten网站,搜索找到你想从那里购物的商家,点击商家链接进入商家网站购物。90天内从各个商家的购物总额(不包括税)满$40以后,Rakuten会把$40奖励放入你的Rakuten账号。你得到的奖励第一次会在购物的15天之内支付,以后的奖励每三个月支付一次。支付会以你选择的方式寄给你或存入你的银行。
  • 注意:购买gift card一般不算购物,拿不到奖励。

2023年4月18日星期二

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (CSP) 蓝宝石信用卡80,000点的开户奖励(此卡对旅游特别友好)

通过推荐链接申请Chase Sapphire Preferred卡并得到批准以后,在三个月之内消费4,000美元可获得80,000点。80,000点可以直接换成$800。如果用点数在Chase旅游门户网站购买机票或订旅馆和用钱在别的地方买没区别,并且有25%的优惠,$800就相当于$1000。

信用卡详情

  • 有95美元的年费,不能免除
  • 没有国外交易费
  • 有Primary汽车租赁保险,就是租车的时候不买保险,自己的车险不会被波及到,直接用这张卡的保险就可以;而一般信用卡的汽车租赁保险都是Secondary的,会先用自己的车险,然后才能用信用卡的保险,所以租的车有赔偿事故会影响到自己的保险信用。
  • 有50美元的年度酒店积分奖励 (这是每一个卡会员年,而不是日历年。必须通过Chase旅游门户网站预订)。
  • 该卡可按以下比率赚钱:
  1. 通过Chase旅游门户网站预订的旅行,可获得5倍积分。
  2. 餐饮/流媒体服务/在线杂货3倍(不包括Target、沃尔玛和批发俱乐部)。
  3. 旅游2倍
  4. 其他所有消费的1倍
  • 10%的周年纪念积分奖励。当你每年交了年费以后,Chase将提供10%的消费奖励。例如,如果你花费25,000美元,你将获得2,500个奖励积分。 这是在支付年费后的奖励,并不适用于开户奖金。
  • 点数可以转换成航空公司或旅馆的点数,也可以在家属之间转。
  • 由于有25%的旅游兑换奖励,在Chase的旅游门户网站上兑换积分的价值为1点值1.25美分。
  • 如果你在过去48个月内收到过任何蓝宝石系列信用卡的开户奖励,则不能申请此卡。
  • Chase 5/24规则适用于此卡,就是如果你过去两年内申请过5张或以上任何银行的信用卡,则不能申请此卡。
旅行相关的保险
  • 旅程取消/中断保险:如果您的旅行因疾病、恶劣天气和其它承保情况而被取消或缩短,您可以获得每人10,000美元、每次旅行20,000美元的预付、不可退款的旅行费用补偿,包括客票、旅游和酒店。
  • 汽车租赁碰撞损失豁免权:拒绝租赁公司的碰撞保险,并从您的卡中扣除全部租赁费用。保险是主要的,对于美国和国外的大多数租车,提供不超过车辆实际现金价值的盗窃和碰撞损害赔偿。
  • 行李延误保险:在客运公司行李延误超过6小时的情况下,为您报销洗漱用品和衣物等必需品的费用,5天内每天最高100美元。
  • 旅程延误补偿:如果您的普通承运人旅行延误超过12小时或需要过夜,您和您的家人可获得未报销的费用,如膳食和住宿,每张票最高500美元。
  • 旅行和紧急援助服务:如果您在外地遇到问题,请致电福利管理员,以获得法律和医疗转介或其他旅行和紧急援助(您将负责获得的任何商品或服务的费用)。