Medicare Insurance Broker
As a Medicare Insurance Broker, I’ve learned the importance of not leaving money on the table.
Escheatment is when unclaimed property or unclaimed funds fall into the hands of the state.
Amazingly, 1 out of every 10 Americans have unclaimed assets being held by the state.
Use this link to find out if you are one of them.
And if you have questions about Medicare insurance, book a time on my calendar here.
As a Medicare Insurance Broker, clients call me daily asking about all the “free Medicare benefits” they keep seeing on TV.
Jimmie Walker as JJ on the TV Show “Good Times.”
Joe Namath the quarterback.
Would you call them to review your Medicare?
Of course not!
They’re actors pitching HUGE BENEFITS…
Benefits that, in reality, are usually available only to consumers BELOW THE POVERTY LINE.
But they want you to think…
Everyone is getting Flex cards, everyone is getting benefits, what am I missing?
The reality? Unless a couple earns LESS than $24,000, most people won’t be for eligible high dollar benefits you hear about on these ads.
Now it is important to review your coverage.
But don’t do it with a call center!
Why not?
Because these corporations only get paid if they switch you.
Do you think that makes them impartial? Impossible!
They have ZERO INCENTIVE to tell you your current plan is appropriate.
If you call in, the deck is stacked against you!
Plus, once they bait and switch you, you will never talk to them again…
You’ll be transferred to the corporate retention center.
Try developing a relationship with a corporate retention center!
Let’s be clear, it is important to review your coverage regularly but…
You need to find an INDEPENDENT MEDICARE INSURANCE BROKER, someone you can work with year after year, someone who works with all the plans.
Look up your Broker’s report card on your State’s Department of Insurance website.
Look up your Broker’s google reviews.
Schedule an appointment. See if you connect.
The bottom line… find a helpful agent you connect with and talk to year after year.
Someone who is looking out for you!
It’s good to have questions, and it is important to review your coverage but…
Watch out for Dyn-O-Mite.
And if you need help from an individual, not a corporation…
Hello Medicare Shopper, I hope this note finds you well.
Just like they said in the Paul Newman movie Blaze…
“Never trust a man who says ‘trust me!'”
The same goes for healthcare.
You already know that most healthcare practitioners are decent, honest, well meaning professionals, committed to maintaining and improving your health.
But that doesn’t mean they are free of cognitive bias. We are all guilty of being trapped in our in silos of beliefs and practices.
So if you receive health advice and they recommend invasive/expensive services or procedures…
GET A SECOND OPINION!
More often than not, the second opinion will confirm the advice of the first practitioner…
But sometimes it won’t.
I had a dentist who recommended a crown. Like any normal patient, I had the crown done and thought nothing of it (Other than it was a lot of money).
Six months later, they recommended another crown for a different tooth. That gave me pause!
Instead of saying yes immediately, I had their office email the x-rays and the paperwork to me and then sent them to a different dentist.
The new dentist told me that I could have the crown done if I wanted but that it truly wasn’t necessary, not yet anyway!
My wallet said thank you!
Look, getting a second opinion is NOT an indictment of your doctor!
My brother is a Radiation Oncologist. He routinely provides second opinions and encourages his patients to seek out second opinions as well.
And like this article on WebMD says, visit a different institution if you can.
A competent Medicare Insurance Broker will do the same thing: they will work with multiple carriers and types of coverage so that you can explore all of your options, and NOT pigeon hole you into a single plan or company.
So get a second opinion, and if you need one on Medicare insurance options, book a time on my calendar here.
Sunscreen vs Screentime – As a Medicare Insurance Broker, I speak with clients all over the country.
Some are living well and others are struggling.
Of course that’s normal.
We can’t control everything, but…
Little changes can pay huge dividends.
One of the simplest ways to improve our health and our happiness is…
Get outside!
Sunscreen vs Screentime – Even a few minutes of time in the sun, pulling weeds, walking about or jumping in the rec center pool can improve our mood and make us feel better.
It’s all about small steps and staying active.
And if you have questions about Medicare Insurance, click here to schedule a time to chat.
And just like mom said, get out of the house now! 🙂
Greetings!
Hearing Loss Ruins Everything – As a Medicare As a Medicare Insurance Broker, I speak with clients every week about Medicare Insurance options, the topic of self-care, and how retirees best manage the aging process.
Want to know the biggest mistake I see?
How hard it is for some people to deal with hearing loss.
That used to be me!
Hearing Loss Ruins Everything – Hearing loss causes social isolation, cognitive decline and it can lead to depression.
The average person procrastinates more than six years AFTER hearing loss has occurred!
Wanna be happier? Wanna live longer? Want have more meaningful connections?
Swallow your damn pride and get your hearing tested!
It changed my life for the better.
Some Medicare Insurance plans include hearing benefits, so check your plan.
If they don’t, go to Costco or Sam’s Club and schedule a free hearing test.
Just remember to be patient with the hearing aid learning process…
Hearing loss occurs over time and it usually takes a while to find the right equipment and for the brain to adjust.
Of course not everyone succeeds with hearing aids.
But, if you persevere, the payoff is HUGE…
More joy, better relationships, and you might be able to hear the birds again!
Here’s great article on hearing loss.
And if you do need help or have questions about Medicare Insurance Plans, book a time on my calendar.
I’ll be happy to help.
Talk soon!
Karl
I’ve got some bad news…
“We’re all gonna die! ☹!”
Now before you get upset, here’s the good news…
If you are reading this, you are still alive 😊!
And for that, give thanks!
As your Medicare Insurance Broker, I see too many people lose sight of this fact.
If you clicked on the video, you learned how thinking about death can improve your life!
I spoke with a young friend whose mother had been diagnosed with and died of pancreatic cancer.
Pancreatic cancer kills quickly.
Can you imagine how distraught this must have made him and his family?
Nicholas’ response to his mother’s diagnoses changed everything.
“When they told me she had this cancer, in my mind, I decided she was already dead. That made every second I had with her thereafter a gift from heaven.”
Miraculously, his mother lived another 24 months.
Did his mother die well?
Nicholas did not sugarcoat anything.
“It was hard, she died in the hospital, but she died surrounded by the people she loved most, my father, my sister and I, and those last two years gave her more love than she ever could have imagined. Those last two years were a gift.”
We are all going to die.
But using this knowledge to reframe every waking moment can bring deep joy and new energy to all pleasure and the challenges in our lives.
Life is all about perspective. The onus is upon to remember and reframe, to get our minds off ourselves and to find ways to help others.
That’s it for this week.
Remember when you and your friends have questions about Medicare, I’m here if you need me.
I hope this note from your Medicare Insurance Broker finds you well, despite the madness of the times.
This week, my wife informed me about an Amazon scam that almost snagged her parents.
Do not be fooled by tricksters!
Many scammers are now attempting to get your Amazon information and that could cause you huge bills.
Follow these simple steps and protect yourself:
Beware of unsolicited calls and texts, and emails from Amazon. Retirees are being targeted.
Never share your login, password or credit card over the phone.
If you are unsure about a transaction, log into your Amazon account and check it directly on the Amazon website.
Do not use the phone numbers or links provided in the emails.
And remember what Lolita Davidovich’s mother told her in the Paul Newman movie “Blaze,”
“Never trust a man who says trust me!”
Here’s a link to the article.
Be safe and if you have questions about Medicare insurance here’s the link to get in touch.
May this note find you well despite the madness of the times.
Spring has sprung and it feels great and hopeful to be out in the sun 😊.
So as we were cleaning flower beds, putting down some mulch and deciding if we need to repaint, my wife Q blindsided me with a question.
Is it time move?
It so felt strange to even think of leaving this home, this place we love and where we raised our kids but…
She was right.
In my practice is a Medicare Insurance Broker, I often speak with long time clients who have ignored this question for far too long and then SUDDENLY find themselves overwhelmed and forced to move when their health goes south.
Check out the video and find out what you need to think about.
The good news is that, with planning, many homes can be modified in advance so we can age in place and live where and how we wish.
Setting up a support system using trusted relatives, a geriatric care manager, legal planning and the right insurance and financial counselors may mean that you can stay in control of your life and your home but…
You need to do the planning BEFORE you need it, otherwise it’ll be ugly for you and your family. This article is a great start.
If you have questions about Medicare Insurance,
I hope this note finds you well and staying safe despite the madness.
As a Medicare Insurance broker, I speak with retirees every day doing their best to make their retirement go farther.
Find out how Chase to took his retirement overseas to reduce his costs and improve the quality of his life.
Living abroad is definitely not for everyone, but many Americans are doing so and loving it.
Here’s a great article with the pros and the cons of retiring abroad.
Meantime, if you have questions about how Medicare works, in the US or overseas, click here to schedule a meeting.
Have a great week and call me if you need me.
I hope your week is going well despite these crazy times.
It’s beginning to feel like fall here. Can you believe we’re already having snow in the mountains? Hopefully it’ll put out some of the fires.
Not knowing the difference between a Broker and an Captive Agent during this Annual Election Period can cause consumers to seriously limit their Medicare options. Click on the picture below to learn more and to see my family 😊.
When I first began working in insurance many years ago, I was a Captive Agent. But after two months, it became clear that I couldn’t truly help people shop for coverage unless I became independent and I’ve been a Broker ever since.
What I love about being a Medicare Insurance Broker is the freedom to provide clients with the unvarnished truth, the good, the bad and the ugly about all the plans. I’m not always able to help everyone, but I do try to do my best and to learn from every interaction and continue to grow. That’s all we can do, right?
The Annual Election Period is now in full swing and all of the plans for 2021 are out. Medicare Supplement Plans really don’t change much from year to year. Many of the Medicare Advantage Plans have raised their Maximum out of Pocket levels but they’ve also increased some of their offerings, $0 copay telehealth visits and over the counter spending benefits. Every person’s needs are different.
The important thing? Book a time on my calendar if you are not sure if your current coverage fits the bill. Also remember to look at your drug costs and make certain your drug coverage is still working, especially if your taking expensive brand name drugs.
Have a great week and let your friends know I’m here if they have questions about Medicare.
The Big 65 Medicare Insurance Services does not offer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to those plans we do offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all your options.