May this blog find you smiling, in great health, and with your Medicare Insurance packed and ready to go 🏃.
Does anyone you know need help 🤔 with Medicare? Email Gray@TheBig65.com or book a time on my calendar. Referrals truly are the lifeblood of our business. Plus, we’ll send you a Starbucks card for anyone who books an appointment ☕🎁💳.
We saw this little rascal while waiting to board and we’re certain our dog Plato would be jealous. Isn’t he cute 🐕🦺 ?
Remember the last trip you took? Life is busier than ever, and filled with so many moving parts so it takes a concerted effort to put everything on hold and get out.
But most folks feel way better after going somewhere new, shaking up the routine, or just hanging with friends and family in a new setting.
Yet, here’s something I’ve noticed over the years speaking with hundreds of clients…
When the subject of travel comes up, it’s not unusual to hear: Oh, we don’t travel anymore.
If I probe a little deeper and ask why, the reason usually isn’t money.
It’s almost always a person: a spouse with dementia, a brother who had a stroke, a ninety-something mother who can no longer live alone.
If this is your profile, please know two things:
One: You are allowed to leave. Two: Medicare may help you do it.
The hardest part of caregiving isn’t the individual acts of care, it’s the fact that the caregiving NEVER stops. The shift NEVER ends.
It’s very normal to decide that a break isn’t possible, not even a 7th inning stretch.
If you are a caregiver for a person with a dementia diagnosis (and the person is NOT in a Medicare Advantage Plan), Medicare has a program call GUIDE, “Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience.”
The program is free and it comes with a care navigator, a 24/7 support line, training for you, and respite care so you can actually go somewhere. It’s for folks on Original Medicare Parts A and B who aren’t in hospice, PACE, or a nursing home. It launched in 2024 and runs as a nationwide pilot. You can search for a participating provider near you on the CMS website.
If the person you care for is on hospice, you cannot use the GUIDE program, but…
Medicare Part A may cover inpatient respite care for a hospice patient.
Depending on the situation, the person you care for may be able to receive facility care for a short stretch, for a small copay, so you can sleep, or go to a wedding, or just drive somewhere quiet to get a break from the stress.
Some Medicare Advantage plans include caregiver support or respite care as a supplemental benefit, but not many. Check in with Member Services to see if your plan has any options.
Remember, Original Medicare does NOT pay for long term custodial care. That’s what Long Term Care Insurance provides. Feel free to reach out if you need help exploring this coverage.
We all need help from time to time. If you are a caregiver, find a way to step away. Catch your breath before it’s too late⏳.
Keep asking, What’s the next big thing? Now go see it🗺️!
If family or friends need help… referrals are the lifeblood of my business.
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Medicare questions or problems?
Book a time on my calendar or email Gray, Gray@theBig65.com.
Let us know what’s going on and please send pictures :).
Karl Bruns-Kyler
(877) 850-0211
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Karl Bruns-Kyler is a Medicare insurance broker and independent Medicare agent licensed to help Medicare recipients in over thirty states from around the country, including:
Alabama
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Florida
Georgia
Idaho
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maryland
Michigan
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New York
North Carolina
Ohio
Oklahoma
Pennsylvania
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Virginia
Washington
Wisconsin
The Big 65 Medicare Insurance Services does not offer every plan available in your area. Currently, we represent 10 organizations that offer 50 products in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options.
Not Sure Which Medicare Plan Is Right for You?
Medicare is complicated, but you do not have to figure it out alone. With over 20 years of experience, Karl Bruns-Kyler can help you compare plans, avoid costly mistakes, and find the coverage that fits your needs and budget.
Call (877) 850-0211
Or schedule a free consultation at a time that works for you.
There is never a charge for my services. Your premium is the same whether you work with me or go direct.
Disclaimer: We do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently, we represent 10 organizations that offer 50 products in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options.