Author: Saratoga TODAY

SARATOGA SPRINGS — CanCode Communities, a nonprofit organization creating a new generation of software coders, has announced the addition of Facebook executive Lisa Harris to its board of directors, and the election of Miriam Dushane of Alaant Workforce Solutions and Kyle Bisnett of Microsoft to lead its slate of officers for 2021-22. The appointments were made at the board’s annual meeting. 

Harris is the Director of State and Local Economic Development Policy for Facebook. An upstate New York native, she previously served as Deputy Counsel to the New York State Senate Majority Republican Conference, and in the Executive Branch of New York state government, where she served four governors in executive roles.

Dushane, Managing Partner at Alaant, was re-elected as Board Chair, and Bisnett, Senior Engineer at Microsoft, was chosen as Vice Chair, In addition, David Wojeski, Founding Partner at Wojeski & Company CPAs, P.C., was selected as Treasurer, and John Haller, former Founder and Chief Technology Officer at SportsSignUp, was chosen as Secretary.

Launched in 2016 as AlbanyCanCode and rebranded as CanCode Communities in July, the organization now includes six additional affiliates. Its rapid expansion was fueled by a $50,000 investment from Facebook, announced last year and championed by Harris. 

For more information on CanCode Communities, including the Fall 2021 course schedule, visit www.cancode.org. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Peregrine Market Access, headquartered here in Saratoga Springs, has been rapidly growing and expanding this year. 

As of June 2021, Peregrine began covering full healthcare expenses for employees and their families as part of an enhancement to its employee healthcare benefit package. Employees will not have to pay a premium, deductible, copays, or out-of-pocket expenses for in-network medical, dental, and vision. 

“Our organization was created for the good of our staff and their families and we will continue to do everything we can to thrive together,” said Guarino in a press release from Peregrine regarding the full healthcare coverage. “This is an important step forward in changing the way we view and value healthcare in the United States. Why not start with our own team?”

Peregrine has also just recently announced that it was ranked at number 589 on the prestigious Inc. 5000 in 2021 with a three-year revenue growth of 817%. The Inc. 5000 list recognizes the nation’s fastest-growing private companies within the dynamic segment of independent small businesses. 

Read the full story on Saratoga Business Report at www.saratogabusinessreport.com.

NEW YORK — Thirty-six upstate elected officials have signed onto a letter opposing National Grid’s proposal to raise rates an average of $100/year for electric and gas customers; the company’s proposal does not comply with New York’s new Climate Law. 

National Grid is proposing to spend $1.4 billion on new fossil fuel infrastructure and to increase gas sales in its territory, which does not comply with the state’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) mandated emissions reduction targets. The officials’ letter states the following: 

“The CLCPA mandates that the state achieve net zero emissions by 2050, necessitating an end to most fossil fuel use by that date. Yet, National Grid is proposing gas infrastructure with the assumption that it will be ‘used and useful’ past 2050.” 

As of June 2021, 253,535 residential and 12,914 non-residential upstate National Grid customers were 60 or more days behind on their bills, owing a total of over $408 million to the utility. Customers who self-certify to their utility that they have been financially impacted by the COVID-19 crisis are protected from shut-offs until the end of this year. 

“At a time when most of our residents and small businesses are still struggling to get back on their feet, rate increases of this kind simply cannot be approved,” said Assemblymember John T. McDonald III (District 108). “We also must continue our strong commitment to the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act and its goal for a decrease in fossil fuel use. We have to make this a priority in the coming years and encourage and reward energy conservation.” 

The first image that often comes to mind when people think about long-term care is an elderly person sitting alone in a depressing nursing home. The misconceptions about what long-term care involves and peoples’ images of the most common care settings are understandable, since long-term care insurance originally started as nursing home insurance four decades ago. However, it has evolved into a much more flexible solution that allows you to receive care in a variety of settings.

Most of us want the ability to age at home, in a familiar setting surrounded by family and our favorite things. The fact is, 90 percent of adults who need long-term care services receive assistance at home or in another community setting. 

If the level of care you need evolves over time, most long-term care insurance policies not only allow you to transition to a nursing home, but some may also provide you with support during the transition. Since you can’t predict the care you might eventually need, it’s important to have the flexibility to choose the setting that best fits your needs at any given time.

Many long-term care policies available today can provide you with a choice of where you want to receive care, including:

• At home, with the help of a home health aide or in some cases a family member or friend to assist with daily activities
• In a community setting, such as adult day care services
• At an assisted living facility, where you can receive help with transportation and meals
• In a nursing home, if you need around-the-clock care

Each of these options provides a different level of care depending on how much assistance you need. Receiving care at home is the most popular and preferred option, and some policies even provide benefits that allow you to make home modifications that can help you stay at home longer. Policies that provide home care allow you to receive care from a professional, or possibly a friend or family member if informal care is covered.

While most people hope they won’t ever need to worry about long-term care, the reality is more than half of Americans will need long-term care assistance after age 65.  Women are even more at risk, primarily because they tend to live longer. The thought of not being able to care for yourself can be difficult and creating a plan for care can be daunting. However, it’s best to not let long-term care planning get pushed aside, because your age and health both factor into whether you’ll qualify for insurance and how much you’ll pay for coverage.

By including long-term care in your retirement planning, you’ll have the peace of mind that you’ve taken the steps to help protect your family from the financial and emotional impact of a long-term care event. Take the time to research available options, decide how much coverage you need based on estimated costs, and create a plan that will give you the flexibility to choose where and how you receive care. If you need additional information, contact a New York Life agent to find out more about our solutions.

This third-party article is provided by Barry J. Bruno, CLU, ChFC, Agent, (CA Insurance Lic. #OB65966) and Daniel D. Bruno, Agent, (CA Insurance Lic. #4097332) New York Life Insurance Company. To learn more about the topics discussed, please contact Barry or Dan at Bruno & Bruno Financial Services LLC 518-587-9295 or email: barry@brunofs.com or dan@brunofs.com. Bruno & Bruno Financial Services LLC is not owned or operated by New York Life Insurance Company