Published on September 26, 2025

🧺🍄🔍 Hunting for mushrooms… or Medicare answers? Bring a trusted guide.

Mountain Greetings!  September is almost over and we hope your Medicare Insurance Coverage is keeping you as healthy as a good walk in the woods🌲🚶!

New plans come out in October. If your medications💊 or physicians🧑‍⚕️have changed, please email the changes to Gray@TheBig65.com.

The Annual Election Period begins October 15th, so book a time on my calendar if we need to speak.

If anyone calls you without permission, beware⚠️!  We had to save another client this week, she was promised a food card by a duplicitous call center📞.  Thank goodness we were able to correct the problem😅.

Karl walking deep in the wood surrounded by trees.

After visiting our Air Force son in Italy, I had the privilege of mushroom hunting in the Alsace with Rene. His daughter Pauline lived with us and attended high school in Atlanta many moons ago and we’ve stayed in touch ever since.

Rene began hunting mushrooms as a boy and he invited his buddy Boris (and Boris’ St Bernard) and me to join him🧺🍄🔍.

Rene and Boris and a St. Bernard dog in the woods.

My mother was an avid mushroom hunter. Though I never paid much interest as boy, this I did learn…

Never eat a mushroom unless you are certain it isn’t poisonous🍄☠️.  According to Rene, these are probably poisonous, so we left them alone.

Two white mushrooms in the forest.

After couple of hours of exploring we filled our bags with chanterelles…

Boris showing a mushroom with a St. Bernard dog in the background along a stone road.

And porcini mushrooms.

Karl holding a large mushroom.

But before I put a single mushroom in my bag, I was certain to show it to Rene for confirmation that tonight’s dinner would not be our last.

A young family sitting at a table, including a man, a woman, and two young children.

Thankfully, we had a delightful dinner of mushrooms in their home and I got to spend time with Pauline and her family and keep the connections going.

Karl holding two kids up in the air.

But, here’s the thing I learned from my very tech savvy daughter back in the US. Whether it’s mushrooms, medical care, or insurance:

DO NOT RELY ON AI TO MAKE YOUR DECISIONS.  AI is an amazing tool for research, education, and perspective, but it should be treated as a starting point, not the final word.

A young woman puts her hand on the shoulder of Karl.

Use AI to get clarity and education, to help you prepare questions, and to double-check your own thinking, but…

✅ Always confirm with a human expert who knows you and your situation.

And when it comes to Medicare, that’s why I’m here—to help you cut through the noise and make choices that fit your life so you can spend more time with the people you love…

Even if they aren’t really French, right Quantz? Tell her I’ll be home soon, probably!

Quantz wearing a blue hat and a mustache and posting next to a flower arrangement.

And do keep squeezing the juice🍊 out of life and look for ways to help others.

If family or friends need help… referrals are the lifeblood of my business.

If you know someone who might like to receive The Big 65 newsletter, forward this link.

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
Book a time on my calendar here
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Karl Bruns-Kyler is a Medicare insurance broker and independent Medicare agent licensed to help Medicare recipients in thirty states around the country, including:

Alabama
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Florida
Georgia
Idaho
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maryland
Michigan
Minnesota
Missouri
Montana
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New York
North Carolina
Ohio
Oklahoma
Pennsylvania
South Carolina
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.

Medicare Broker Karl Bruns-Kyler and Plato the big black and white dog.

About the Author

Karl Bruns-Kyler is a licensed independent Medicare insurance broker with over 20 years of experience helping clients make confident, informed healthcare decisions. Based in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, Karl works with Medicare recipients across more than 30 states, offering personalized guidance to help them avoid costly mistakes, find the right coverage, and maximize their benefits. Connect on LinkedIn