Medicare Archives

Life Lessons from Jim & Hughey

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

You know how eagerly I’ve been looking forward to spring.

I’m a total wussy when it comes to cloudy weather, that’s why we left Ohio.

We miss all our amazing Buckeye friends, but not the weather 😊.

So when snowed it all over our flowers the other day, there was only one solution…

Go play in the snow, and I’m so glad I did, because I met my role models for life, Jim & Hughey.

Click on the picture above and learn the simple life lessons they confirmed me for me.

Despite respiratory issues and just plain getting older, Hughey and Jim inspired me. They keep looking for adventure and don’t let aging get in the way.

I didn’t even notice till we got off the ski lift that Jim is still telemarking, the hardest form skiing.

That’s message for me, wake up or die!

As we age into Medicare, of course there are problems, aches, illnesses and issues, but if we focus on what we can do instead of what we can’t do, it makes all the difference in the quality of our lives and the lives of those around us.

That’s it for this week.

If you have Medicare insurance questions, click here to schedule a meeting.

Perspective is everything

I hope this Medicare newsletter finds you well, wherever you are and whatever your situation.

One year since the pandemic began, can you believe it?

Talking with Medicare clients all over the country, it’s been a challenging year for so many:

Illnesses, lost finances, isolation from family and friends…the list goes on.

What’s amazing to me has been watching some of my clients hardest hit by the pandemic actually thriving and find new meaning in their lives.

Victor Frankel, the concentration camp survivor, psychotherapist and author summed it up best:

“Ultimately, man is not subject to the conditions that confront him; rather, these conditions are subject to his decision. Wittingly or unwittingly, he decides whether he will face up or give in, whether or not he will let himself be determined by the conditions.”

My wife says I’m a broken record, but I’ll say it again anyway:

It’s NOT what happens to us but HOW we choose to respond to life’s trials, that makes all the difference!

Many of you know that my older brother severed his spinal cord several years ago in a biking accident but he did not let this traumatic event define him. Robert continues to practice medicine, to learn new things and to inspire everyone in his life. He continues to be my role model for dealing with adversity.

Check out this article on dealing with adversity.

That’s it for this week. Book a time here on my calendar if you or your friends have questions about Medicare or call the number below.

Stay safe, look for ways to help others and be well!

Are you overmedicating?

For people on Medicare, taking the time to review their medications with their pharmacist and their physician could have a hugely positive impact on their health.

One of my clients was so shocked at the comatose state of her mother that she removed her from her nursing home and had her own physician perform a complete pharmacy review.

The result? At the physician’s request, her mother stopped taking SIX of her NINE maintenance medications and went from zombie status to being human again.

Never stop ANY medication WITHOUT the advice of your doctor. But just because you’ve been taking something for while doesn’t necessarily mean you need to keep taking it.

Check out the article , have a great week and Click here to Schedule a Meeting with Karl if you have questions about Medicare, or Medicare insurance options.

How to give to your favorite charity for free!

Greetings Neighbor,

I hope you are having a great week despite the crazy times.

Is your mail box filling up with pleas for donations?

Ours sure is and sometimes it’s hard to tell if it’s a real charity or not.

Here’s a simple way to donate to charity and it doesn’t have to cost you a penny!

Click on the picture below and find out how!

Believe it or not, if you shop on Amazon using the link www.smile.amazon.com , Amazon will allow you to designate your charity of choice to receive a small donation of up to 0.5% every time you purchase something.

If you are already in the habit of shopping on Amazon, using this special link is an easy way to support a cause you believe in.

That’s it for this week, book a time on my calendar if you have any questions about Medicare Insurance.

Are you taking too many drugs?

Hey Neighbor,

I hope you are having a great week. It’s been quiet here in our house.

My wife Q is back east visiting her parents in South Carolina, and even though I’m super busy, I miss her company. That’s what happens after 30 years of marriage, right?

If you’ve seen the 500 Medicare commercials already with super happy seniors, you know it’s the Annual Election Period.

It’s been great catching up with clients I haven’t spoken to in a while and making sure their Medicare coverage is up to date.

Today I spoke with Nancy, a long time client in Georgia. Her comments really got me thinking about a problem I see more often than I should.

Click on the picture below and learn something that might save your life and even save you money.

Of course medications have improved the quality and the length of the lives of many Americans. Sadly, the medical industrial complex has made it way too easy to be over medicated. Many Americans continue to take medications long after the need for them is over.

One doctor will prescribe a medication and another doctor will be hesitant to end it because of miscommunication. Even worse, the more meds you take, the greater the risk of negative side effects. Talk to your doctor, talk to pharmacist.

Review your medications and understand why you are taking each medicine you take. Check out this article and, as they said in the movie Blaze, “never trust a man who says trust me.”

That’s it for this week. If you’re unsure of your coverage and you need a Medicare Insurance review, or your friends need help, book a time on my calendar and I’ll do my best to help.

Be well, be kind, be safe, one nation under God.

Who needs a flu shot?

Greetings Neighbor.

I hope this note finds you in great health and excellent spirits despite the crazy times.

Elections, COVID, and crazy weather, believe me, everyone is ready for 2020 to finish 😊.

We’ve been getting a ton of questions about the new flu, and from what I am reading, this year’s strain could be extra dangerous. Click on picture and learn how to protect yourself.

Of course you know you need a flu shot, but did you get one yet? If you have a Medicare Supplement, getting the shot in your local pharmacy for most plans will keep the cost to $0.

If you have an Advantage Plan, confirm with your doctor’s office there is no copay.

In talking with my pharmacist, there are different versions of the vaccine, but they were recommending the High Dose Flu vaccine. It has four times as many antigens (whatever those are). Talk to your doctor, but do the right thing, please, because I actually like having Medicare clients 😊.

Here’s more information about the flu and vaccination options.

Remember, the Annual Election Period is upon us and the new plans for 2021 are finally out. Let me know if your friends and family need help, that’s why I’m here.

Stay safe and please book a time on my calendar if you need me (my calendar only runs 7 days in advance, so be patient).

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.

There is no them, there is only us!

I hope this note finds you in great health and excellent spirit, despite the madness of the times. This joke I heard sums it up this year:

A guy walks into a bar in New Orleans and says, “Give me two Hurricanes and a Corona.”

The bartender responds, “That’ll be $20.20!”

Many of you know my wife and I have been exploring the Northwest to celebrate her retirement and loving it. We’ve had some amazing adventures and also some very strange encounters.

Click on the video picture below and hear what I learned that truly gives me hope.

May we remember there is no them, there is only us. Time and time again, I have watched strangers perform incredible acts of kindness, helping to repair cars, sharing food, donating time and money and doing good deeds.

Do not be fooled by stories of the extreme that are designed to polarize, divide and conquer us. When Americans connect with each other, face to face, one on one, we show compassion, we forgive imperfections and we accept differences. Differences are the fabric that makes our nation great, Epluribus Unum, out of many, one. This is not an easy motto to live by but it sure is a great one.

The Medicare Annual Election Period is seven weeks away. How is your plan working? Are you happy? Do we need to make changes? If so let me know and remind your friends to check in with me.

How to catch a buzz!

I hope you’re having a great week, despite the heat, the pandemic and the storms.

My in laws’ brand new rider mower was totaled by the surge from Hurricane Isaias and their insurer refused to cover it, said they should have brought it inside. Aren’t you glad Medicare doesn’t work like that?

“I’m sorry your husband died Mrs. Jones but we’re not paying for the hospitalization. He should have done something to prevent his death.”
Good grief!

Today I want remind you of the importance of enjoying life. Here’s how:

That’s right, get out in the yard and garden (early or late if it’s warm).

Studies have shown being outside lowers blood pressure plus light activity still counts as exercise and we know exercise keeps us above the lawn.

And being above the lawn beats the heck out of being six feet under.

Here’s an article to prove it.

So please feel free to grow me some peaches and when my hives produce, I’ll send you some honey.

Let me know your questions about Medicare options and let’s talk soon!

Life is short, you better live now!

I hope all is when in your world, despite these strange times. Can you even remember a time when things were crazier?

When we lived in Atlanta, we had a neighbor who was a former Army Ranger and a CPA. I’d see him every morning early. As I’d be going out for the paper, he’d be pulling out in his car, and he would roll down the window and say, “we’re all gonna die!” Then he’d peel out in his car and go to work.

He did that every day that I saw him for six years and I learned something important. Check out this video and find out what I learned!

That’s right, life really is short, even if we live to be a hundred, it’ll be gone in the blink of an eye.

If there’s something you’ve been meaning to do, something deep inside that you can’t let go of, you better do it now!

So whether that thing is starting to paint, planning a trip around the world (because the world will open again) or just picking up the phone and calling that person you haven’t spoken to in thirty years and apologizing, now is the time.

Clients often ask, “Why did you choose to be a Medicare broker?”

My joy in life has nothing to do with the insanity that is Medicare, but it has EVERYTHING to do with helping people navigate Medicare and in living a life of service and providing for my family.

So find a big reason to get up and don’t put it off any longer.

How will you respond on the worst day of your life?

A wise person once said, “it’s not what happens but how we respond that determines our lives.”

True words.

Check out this video and you’ll see how my brother responded to the worst day in his life, when he became a paraplegic.

Despite the trauma, Robert has a new lease on life and has chosen not to let this event define him. Listen to his story here.

Learning to respond instead of reacting, that’s the key. Somedays are easier than others. The important thing to remember, you don’t have to be perfect, you can’t be perfect, you just have to keep trying. Here’s an article that may help.

In the Medicare world, I’m seeing some of the ugliest, most aggressive marketing on the web that I have ever seen and I am shocked at how consumers are being maligned!

I spoke with a woman this week, seven months out from Medicare who had booked a time on my calendar. An unscrupulous call center agent had already enrolled her in a plan AND THE AGENT DIDN’T EVEN REVIEW HER WORK COVERAGE (or her drugs)!

That’s criminal (in my opinion). He just wanted to sign her up and move on to the next dollar. Every week, I run across people in this situation.

The good news, we can probably get this reversed and get her back in her work coverage (if it turns about to be better). Tell your friends and family NEVER to sign up with a call center broker. They will sign you up as quickly as possible (and often don’t review your drugs, the most important part). Most of the time you’ll never talk with them again.

Look, if I’m not your cup of tea, no worries! But do find somebody local who’s going be with you for the duration. Just like they said on Hawaii 5-0 back in the day, “Book him Danno, Medicare is for life!” Well, something like that.

So remember to respond instead of reacting, and if you have questions about Medicare, check in with me and I’ll do my best to help.