Medicare Insurance Archives

The Annual Election Period ended December 7th but …

May this blog post/newsletter find you in good health with your Medicare coverage working properly.

The Annual Election Period ended December 7th and Plato is ready to dance!

It was a pleasure to catch up with so many of you all over the country and I am excited to have a little down time.

Even though most of my teams are out of the World Cup, I’m having fun seeing some of the games now.

The Annual Election Period ended December 7th but … just remember, if you meant to book a time but didn’t, we can still review your coverage and put an action plan together for next year.

Don’t be like Georgia and hold it in (Georgia dug up and swallowed a mole). If you are having issues, please reach out.

The end of the year is always a perfect time to look back and consider opportunities to make small changes that can improve our lives and the lives of everyone we touch.

This article captures some of the bigger ways to live well but this quote below says it all:

We get smarter as we age, but if we are not careful, we get crankier. Our logical minds focus on everything that isn’t working well instead of the things that are working well.

I could get angry and blame the Air Force for cancelling our son’s vacation or…

I could give thanks that one of our former exchange students surprised us with a visit from Mexico. Santiago just finished his fall semester at the University of Puebla studying business.

Having him around has been great fun: playing ping pong (now he beats me), hiking and maybe skiing next week. I’m doing my best to keep up and Q is making sure Santi eats like a king (which means the house is filled with good stuff she would only get to spoil our kids.)

The static wall sit is the only thing I’ve beat him at so far!

The purpose of this newsletter is to helps us stay in touch and to inspire each of you to live your own best life. You don’t need to read it every week, just know it’s here so you can get a hold of me when you need me.

I’m constantly inspired by my brother Robert. He severed his spinal cord four years ago, but instead of defining him, this event has been a catalyst for growth. I will not minimize how challenging it has been, but Robert still practices medicine and is more connected to his patients and life as a result of this experience. He continues to push himself mentally, physically and spiritually.

He is my role model. This is him on the beach of Lake Erie over Thanksgiving.

As we continue into the holidays, look for joy and adventure in every encounter. It’s not what happens to us but… how we choose to respond.

Have a great week, be safe, and call me if you need me.

Karl Bruns-Kyler
(877) 850-0211
Book a time on my calendar here

Karl Bruns-Kyler is a Medicare insurance broker and independent Medicare agent licensed to help Medicare recipients in twenty-two states around the country, including:

Alabama
Arizona
Colorado
Florida
Georgia
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Louisiana
Maryland
Missouri
New Jersey
New York
North Carolina
Ohio
Oklahoma
Pennsylvania
South Carolina
Tennessee
Texas
Virginia
Wisconsin

We do 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.

Medicare Supplement or Medicare Advantage Plans – Which Are Better?

May this blog post/newsletter find you in good health with your Medicare insurance working properly.

Thank goodness, less than two weeks left in the Annual Election Period.

Most of the promises are bogus, but if you do have questions, feel free to book a time on my calendar.

In the meantime, Dan and Sam hope everyone had a…

Today, I’ll touch on the question: Medicare Supplement or Advantage Plans – Which Are Better? But first …

In reviewing plans with clients all over the country, it has been fun to hear how different folks celebrated the holiday.

You can tell by the smiles that Jack, Adrienne and her Mamma lived large and enjoyed the day. What a handsome family.

One of the questions I get every day is:

Medicare Supplement or Advantage Plans – Which Are Better?

Honestly, it’s kind of like asking which is better, being Catholic or being Protestant?

My job is to present the good, the bad, and the ugly of each type of plan. Much depends on how you use healthcare services.

I love the simplicity of Medicare Supplements, but I dislike that the premiums continue to rise.

I love the value based model of Medicare Advantage plans, but I dislike how hard it can sometimes be to navigate the networks.

Each person’s situation is different so the important thing is to draw your own conclusions. If you want to go deep, here’s an interesting article.

Thanksgiving in our house was pretty quiet. Florence, our exchange student, was out of town, Sus, our daughter traveled on Thanksgiving, so we ate ham and postponed the dinner till after my busy season.

Sus did stop by the evening before Thanksgiving and crushed me in board games. Remember when you used to let them win? The tide has shifted :).

Perhaps you know the value I place on trying new things, keeping your brain active, living a life of service? Well, I’ve started a new hobby, tutoring English.

Every Sunday morning, I share a screen with my French faux grandchildren (the sons of our first exchange student from twenty years ago) and we practice English. It is exhausting and fun. What are you doing to improve the lives and the brains of your grandvarmints?

If you don’t have grandkids, there are plenty of local programs desperate for volunteers. Okay, I’ll say it again (Q says I’m a nag) but, the secret to living well is living for others.

Now we move on to Christmas. Client Karen in Michigan sent this picture of her frog tree. Years ago, one of her bosses got it into his head that she was crazy about frogs (she wasn’t) and somehow everyone around her glommed onto the idea and started giving her frogs and voila! Ain’t life funny? Please send pictures of what’s going on in your life and…

Feel free to forward this newsletter to friends and family with Medicare questions! Referrals are the lifeblood of my business.

Have a great week, be safe, and call me if you need me.

Karl Bruns-Kyler
(877) 850-0211
Book a time on my calendar here

Karl Bruns-Kyler is a Medicare insurance broker and independent Medicare agent licensed to help Medicare recipients in twenty-two states around the country, including:

How My Neighbor Made the World a Better Place

May this blog post/newsletter find you in good health with your Medicare insurance working properly.

Only three weeks left in the Annual Election Period! Keep your head down and ignore the noise.

Remember: If anyone calls you and asks for your Medicare information or Social Security number…. HANG UP THE PHONE, DANGER, DANGER, DANGER!

Most of the promises you hear on TV are only for low income individuals, but if you do have questions, feel free to book a time on my calendar.

The title of this blog post is “How My Neighbor Made the World a Better Place” …

Plato was sorry to see we shrink wrapped this ham and sent it off to our Air Force son in Britain.

Yours truly has been catching up with so many of you all of over the country and everyone seems to be excited about Thanksgiving, a normal Thanksgiving.

Our neighbor Sally is one of those people you can always count on if you need a smile or some perspective on life (she’s an author and a public speaker). We usually catch up on the way to the mailbox and recently we shared words on the loss of a close neighbor.

John had died after a long battle with cancer.

I’ve never seen a tougher person on this planet than John. 98% of us would have given up years and year before, but John was a tough and crusty bastard (like Job) … and he would do anything for a friend. Very few people are capable of enduring the type of pain that John pushed through daily, for almost 14 years.

John had a purpose and that kept him going: taking care of his family and providing his young children a solid foundation in Christianity.

We had been away for most of the weekend when he died, but that Sunday afternoon, when we got home, a hearse was in front of his house taking John away, draped in the flag of a US Veteran. I couldn’t believe that he had died. This was the strongest man that I had ever met.

John had died at home, with his family, on his own terms.

Of course there was a service, tearful goodbyes, fond memories. I knew that John would live on through the legacy of his children, Austin and Ashlyn. I thought that was all John had left us, until…

On Sunday, his wife, Nylda, texted this letter she had received.

Not only was John a loving father, husband and provider, but he was also an organ donor.

Even though his body had been ravaged by cancer, John was able to make a gift after death that changed the life another family.

Even in the darkest moments, if we seek to live a life of service, everything can change. And yes, this was another way my neighbor made the world a better place ….

Despite the great political discord that is amplified every day and fractures our joy, remember:

We share more in common than we do in differences.

Regardless of beliefs, Americans are the kindest, most giving people I have met anywhere on the planet.

Currently, there are over 100,000 people in the U.S. waiting for an organ transplant.

There is only us, so, consider being an organ donor.

This Thanksgiving, reconnect with those you love, forgive grudges, let go of the past. Life is short, give thanks, eat, laugh, dance, help others.

You may never know how your good intentions can help others.

Feel free to forward this to friends and family! Referrals are the lifeblood of my business.

Have a great week, be safe, and call me if you need me.

Karl Bruns-Kyler
(877) 850-0211
Book a time on my calendar here

Karl Bruns-Kyler is a Medicare insurance broker and independent Medicare agent licensed to help Medicare recipients in twenty-two states around the country, including:

Cognitive Decline And Aging In Place

One thing for certain, if we live long enough…

We’re gonna get older. And if we do get old enough…

Cognitive decline still seems inevitable.

The good news, if resources and living circumstances permit, aging in place is possible.

And that’s what most people hope to do.

So even though my dear friend is 94, he is able to stay at home and receive non skilled, non medical care given by family and paid caregivers.

Everyday, Fridus reads the paper, plays chess online, watches television and connects with the people around him.

What’s your long term care plan?

If you have questions about Medicare or Long Term Care, book a time on my calendar here.

What About My Medicare Meds?

Greetings Medicare Insurance Seeker!

It’s that time of year when everyone is being bombarded with false promises of Medicare gold!

If you are taking prescriptions, it’s a good idea to review your options.

1. Look at your Annual Notice of Changes. If the drugs have switched tiers, beware of higher costs.

2. Before filling your prescription, make sure the pharmacy you are going to is a preferred pharmacy in the Part D network.

3. Before filling your prescription, ask the pharmacist the “cash price” for the medication. Sometimes the price your pharmacy can offer is LESS than the discount you receive through your Part D drug plan.

4. Finally, before filling your prescription, check the price using a discounting online app like Goodrx.com. Sometimes this app can really save you money.

Finally, the Annual Election Period is from October 15th through December 7th.

If you have questions about your Medicare Supplement, your Medicare Advantage Plan or your Part D drug coverage…

Book a time on my calendar here and we’ll see if we can reduce your costs and improve your benefits.

Have a great week and call me if you need me!

Do I Need To Review My Medicare Insurance Coverage?

I hope you are having a great week as the weather starts to turn cooler :).

The Medicare Annual Election Period begins in October.

In September, your current carrier should be sending you a copy of the Annual Notice of Changes.

Here, you will be able to read how your plan will be changing for 2022.

If you are not happy with the changes, or you are just unsure if your Medicare Insurance plan is still appropriate for you…

Book a time on my calendar here

Here is a link to the Medicare & You 2022 Handbook

Beware Of Medical Scams!

As I speak with Medicare Insurance Clients around the country and read about breakthrough medical technologies, it amazes me how rapidly medical technology has progressed.

Medical breakthroughs have improved the quality and the length of our lives.

But not all medical break throughs have been validated.

Stem Cells may one day provide remarkable regenerative therapies but to date, THEY HAVE NOT BEEN VERIFIED by peer reviewed independent third party studies.

Before you invest thousands of dollars in unproven medical processes, do your research.

Here’s a great article on Stem Cell Therapy.

And if you have questions about Medicare Insurance and whether you have the right insurance mix, book a time on my calendar here.

And if you get a chance, definitely visit Iceland!

Learn Something New

Greetings Medicare Seeker, I hope this note finds you well.

The importance of continuous learning cannot be overstated.

Whether you are learning to play bridge, learning to play the guitar or learning how to blow out your sprinklers to prepare for winter, learning something new every day has multiple benefits.

Learning new things helps regenerate neurons, reduces the risk of dementia,
improves our ability to handle challenges and increases our socialization skills.

Here’s an article with all the details.

So learn something new today, and if you have questions about Medicare insurance reach out and book a time on my calendar here.

Beware of The Fall!

Beware of The Fall – I hope this note finds you well and engaged in meaningful summer activities.

I was walking Plato on the trail behind our house last night and I came upon a stranger…

Super healthy, super fit, she had fallen off her bike and was bleeding.

We called the rescue squad and they were on the scene in minutes. Thank goodness she was okay!

Falls can happen to anyone, either while exercising or just at home.

Adding nightlights to the bedroom can make a big difference.

Beware of The Fall – Also, if you have to get up every night to go to the bathroom, you might benefit by having your medications reviewed.

In addition, practicing balance exercises during the day can help as well.

Here are some simple balance exercises that can make a huge difference!

And if you have questions about Medicare Insurance Coverage, let’s chat! Here’s a link to my calendar.

Be safe and balanced.

Always Give Thanks! Sulpayki, Pacha Mama

I hope this note finds you well, despite the madness of the times.

Today’s vlog comes to you from the Andes in Peru. My wife and I fulfilled a dream…

to visit Machu Picchu!

When we jumped off the train to begin or 17 kilometer hike along the Inca Trail, our guide asked if would like to make an offering.

Why not, said we. He explained that the Incas would place three perfect coca leaves on altar and say “Sulpayki, Pacha Mama,” Thank you, Mother Earth.

Through out history, countless societies have recognized the importance of gratitude and thankfulness.

Studies have shown that gratitude can improve our health and general well being.

Here’s an article that talks about it.

So as you go about your week, look for ways to give thanks for what is working in your life.

And if you have questions about Medicare Insurance, click here to schedule a meeting.