By all means, don’t do this!

Greetings and may this blog post find you in great health with your Medicare coverage working properly.

Connie in Ohio reminded me she’s still being bombarded by illegal Medicare calls.

If someone calls, ask for their insurance license number and watch them disappear!

Remember, it’s against the law for anyone to call about Medicare coverage without permission!

By all means, don't do this!

Call centers want to switch you, but they won’t be there to help when things go south. Good luck with that overseas call center trying to fix your problem!

It’s no surprise that Medicare is a pain in the…

Quantz with a monkey on her back.

So, if you’re having problems, or you want to review your coverage, or check options, reach out to Gray or book a time on my calendar. We’ll get it fixed, that’s a promise!

Last week, we talked about keys to longevity, things you can do to be healthier.

Quantz with a falcon resting on her arm.

And even though Quantz calls me a “nudge,” this week, let’s focus on things to avoid!

Quantz laying on the ground.

Don’t isolate:  Lack of social interaction can lead to feelings of loneliness and depression. Stay connected with friends, family, and the community, or look what happens! If you isolate, you become roadkill!

Quantz sitting at a table listening to a young lady.

Don’t engage in unhealthy habits:  Excessive drinking, smoking, or a sedentary lifestyle can negatively impact physical and mental health. Prioritizing healthy behaviors is crucial for maintaining well-being. Moderation is the key, right Q!

Plato playing in the Colorado snow.

Don’t stick to rigid routines:  While routines can be comforting, avoid becoming too rigid in your schedules. Flexibility and spontaneity can add excitement and variety to life. Just ask Plato!

A distinguished gentleman with a white beard, walking stick, smoking a pipe.

Don’t dwell on the past:  Avoid dwelling on past regrets or missed opportunities. Give thanks for what is going well, the people in your life, and look forward to the future.

The man above was my second father, Luke Sr. He was climbing ladders, causing mischief, and moving forward to the very last minute. His spontaneity and zest for living continue to be my inspiration.

The moon shining on a pastorale scene.

Don’t compare yourself to others:  Comparing can lead to feelings of inadequacy or gloating (Remember what my brother Rob said last week?) Focus on your own journey, celebrate your accomplishments, count your blessings. It’s not what happens, it’s how you choose to respond. Robert is proof of that! Keep going, keep going, keep going!

Karl and his brother Rob enjoying a fall day in Virginia.

Most important, keep squeezing the juice out of life and look for ways to help others!

Medicare questions or problems?

Book a time on my calendar or email Gray, Gray@theBig65.com.

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

Let us know what’s going on and please send pictures :).

 

Karl Bruns-Kyler
(877) 850-0211
Book a time on my calendar here
Happy with my Service? Click Here to Leave a Review.


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
Louisiana
Maryland
Michigan
Minnesota
Missouri
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.

Logo for The Big 65 Medicare Insurance Services company.

Good news!

May this blog post find you in good health with your Medicare Insurance working properly.

This summer has had the strangest weather I can remember, but I’m using rainy days to get all of my 2024 Medicare certifications completed.

Three more finished, three more to go. It still amazes me how Medicare seems to get more complicated every year, but, don’t get me started!

Instead, I’ll do my best to practice what I preach and give thanks for what I’m grateful for: Modern Medicine.  This is Good News!

Xray of foot for The Big 65 Medicare Senior Insurance Services company.

Had one of our ancestors developed this painful foot condition, they probably would have had to live with it, constant misery.

Modern medicine isn’t perfect but don’t tell that to Jeri, the quality of her life was restored by an incredible orthopedic surgeon.
X-ray of foot after successful bone surgery.

Jeri said, “my surgeon was fabulous. No pain meds after two days. Crutches, then boot with crutches, then boot. Was walking on my own after two months. No limp, no problems. Hooray for surgeons!”

We know every surgery doesn’t go like this, but it’s easy to lose perspective on how far we’ve come with healthcare and to take it for granted.

I’m big believer in getting a second opinion before any major invasive procedure (or a third), but I am also amazed on weekly basis with the remarkable recoveries and improvements I see in client health when they find the right doctor AND…

When we patients follow the doctor’s plan of care, it turns out you can teach us old dogs new tricks.

People in a car looking at a camera.

Following your doctor’s plan for physical therapy will help you get better. To stick with the plan, work with your doctor (or your therapist) to set clear goals. Do the exercises regularly, stick to the schedule.

Most important, talk openly about how you’re doing and get feedback, especially if things aren’t going well in the recovery process.

Many patients feel as if they are doing something wrong if they don’t start improving and will often give up on the rehab processes. By sharing honestly with your healthcare provider, therapy regimens can be modified. But if you don’t speak up, you won’t get better.

Jeri was teachable and interactive with her healthcare providers and she is one happy camper! No matter what happens, eventually, our bodies will wear out. But in the meantime, we do our best to keep going.

Karl Bruns-Kyler getting out of a car in France.

Well, the Bruns-Kylers are visiting cousins in France.

Cousin Flo in Colorado.

You may remember that we have had Quantz’s cousin’s daughter, Florence, living with us for the year. She is still in the US in our home, and now, we visit her family’s place in Normandy.

Karl and Quantz visiting family and friends in France.

What a pleasure it has been to share meals and to meet their friends and neighbors.

Florence's grandmother, Helene and Karl together.

Florence’s grandmother, Helene, was at our wedding a million years ago and it was an absolute delight to spend time with her again.

Helene is the definition of aging well, gracious, engaged, and living life with savoir faire. Over 90 and still a force of nature. What a treasure she is. Give thanks for those you love who make a difference in your life.

Karl and Quantz together in France.

We are looking forward to visiting the D-Day museums and Omaha beach, but in the meantime, we are visiting the markets and walking through the old villages.

Green beans in 11 jars in Virginia.

My little brother, Haas, sent this picture of all the green beans he and his girlfriend have been canning. He says the pumpkins are doing well, too.

Are you giving or getting any produce from your neighbors?

Oversized zucchini on a neighbor's porch.

That’s it for this week; Keep squeezing the juice out of life!

Medicare questions or problems?

Book a time on my calendar or email Gray, Gray@theBig65.com.

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

Let us know what’s going on and please send pictures :).

 

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


As a novice to navigating the Medicare system, I cannot recommend the services of Karl enough. His knowledge has saved my wife and I a lot of money, both on the Medicare supplement insurance and the drug coverage. Costs you nothing to listen and has saved up thousands of dollars over time.
-Robert B

Happy with my Service? Click Here to Leave a Review.


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

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

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.

A couple of ideas that could make the weekend better!

May this blog post find you in good health enjoying a joyful Easter, Passover or just a beautiful spring weekend …  

And, of course, with your Medicare Insurance working properly.  Here are a couple of ideas that could make the weekend better …

Quantz Bruns-Kyler painting for The Big 65 Medicare insurance broker in Colorado.

Well, we thought we would be home for a while in Colorado, but while Quantz was painting window trim on Wednesday, she got a call from her dad asking if she’d head east and help him take care of her mom. Q left the next morning for South Carolina.

That’s the thing about health, it can change in a heartbeat, so it’s always important to be prepared with your paperwork: living wills, medical power of attorney, wills, and having financial paperwork in good order.

Is yours up to date? Ping me if you need a link to any of these forms and don’t wait for an emergency!

Karl Bruns-Kyler Colorado Medicare insurance broker discussing ideas that could make the weekend better.

Plato was thrilled I didn’t have to leave him again. He likes being with our daughter Sus and her animals when we are out of town, but I know he is happiest at home (maybe I’m just projecting).

Moderate drinking has no health benefits for The Big 65.

Did you see this news story? How disappointing to learn a glass of wine a day may not keep the doctor away.

I was talking with our neighbor Sally about this article.

Sally Wurr is an author and international speaker based in Colorado.

Sally is an author as well as a group employer health insurance broker.

Her perspective? Like almost everything in life, the secret is moderation.

It’s always good to be reminded of that.

Thank goodness for perspective. So, I won’t be giving up wine completely. Besides, as my wife says, what’s the point of living forever if you don’t have any fun, right ?

Fermented foods are healthy for The Big 65 Colorado Medicare insurance broker.

This article on gut health reaffirmed the importance of adding fermented foods regularly to your diet.

It’s the small actions we take over a long period of time that can have positive (or negative effects on our health).

Fortunately, I love kimchi and sauerkraut, but yogurt is also a healthy alternative.

Nicholas visiting WW II fighter planes_The Big 65.

Our Air Force son seems to be settling back into his routine overseas.

While on his huge base in England, he came across a hanger which still houses some US WW II fighter planes with victories of over the Nazis, he thought it was pretty cool!

Karl Bruns-Kyler with Suz and KC at Bug Trivia Night in Colorado.

Since my wife Q is out of town, our daughter Sus and her boyfriend KC invited me to bug trivia night at the Museum of Natural History.

Free drinks (told you I wasn’t giving them up), a great bug exhibit, and we came in third.

My only contribution to the score was the German word for beetle, kafer, thank goodness I had a German dad.

David and family celebrating Passover - friends of The Big 65.

Thanks to my buddy David for sending these pictures celebrating Passover with family and friends.

Two beautiful children_friends of The Big 65.

Is there any greater joy than the smile of a child?

That’s it for this week. Keep squeezing the juice out of life.

Remember, referrals are the lifeblood of my business!

If you are having Medicare questions or problems, email Gray, Gray@thebig65.com, or just book a time on my calendar.

We are here if you need us.

Let me know what’s going on your life, please send pictures :).

 

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


As a novice to navigating the Medicare system, I cannot recommend the services of Karl enough. His knowledge has saved my wife and I a lot of money, both on the Medicare supplement insurance and the drug coverage. Costs you nothing to listen and has saved up thousands of dollars over time.
-Robert B

Happy with my Service? Click Here to Leave a Review.

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

Alabama
Arizona
Colorado
Florida
Georgia
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Louisiana
Maryland
Minnesota
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.

Minnesota Medicare insurance agent Karl Bruns-Kyler of The Big 65 Minnesota.

 

Paperwork That Matters

May this blog post find you in good health with your Medicare Coverage working properly.  Today, I want to discuss paperwork that matters.  But first …

Aren’t these kids cute? I’m a sucker for dinosaur jammies, must be the grandpa instinct kicking in, eh?

Karl Bruns-Kyler holding cute kids in Vietnam

Many of you tell me about the joy you receive from your grandvarmints and how important they are to you (at least till they start being teenagers).

Some clients hope to leave something to the next generation. Others say their plan is to spend it all and enjoy life to the fullest.

Either way, most of us hope we will never be a burden to our spouses, our children, or our grandchildren. And yet…

I speak with clients REGULARLY who may be leaving their loved ones in a tight spot if they don’t get this right. Click on the picture below to make sure this isn’t you.

If we live long enough, we are going to die. Therefore, it is essential to have these documents in place long before we need them:

    1. Last Will & Testament
    2. Trust (if necessary)
    3. Power of Attorney
    4. Healthcare Power of Attorney
    5. Living Will
    6. HIPAA Release
    7. Letter Of Intent

 

Not having these documents in place can cause terrible difficulties for your family, so take the time to leave them in a good situation.

If you already have them in place, make sure they are up to date. If you haven’t done them, look for an Eldercare Attorney or consider these forms as a starting pointThis is paperwork that matters to everyone.

New friends Tim and Kate in Cambodia with The Big 65.
While travelling in Cambodia, we met and made friends with Tim and Kate, a father/daughter duo from South Carolina exploring the world together.

Tim is and his wife are retired and Kate is engaged and plans to start working when they return from their adventure. What a great way to build a lifelong memory.

Pol Pot Killing Tree_The Big 65 Colorado Insurance Broker

When I’m not working, Q always makes sure we visit places of historical interest. In Cambodia, we visited the killing fields where millions were killed by Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge. It was such a sobering experience and an important reminder of how things can go wrong in the world.

Chum Mey, typewriter repairman with Karl Bruns Kyler and The Big 65.

In the capital, Phnom Penh, we had the privilege of meeting Chum Mey, a typewriter repairman, and one of only seven (out of 20,000) who survived Pol Pot’s murderous prison, S-21. The reason the the seven were kept alive is they had specific skills the Khmer needed. What a miracle to have survived. Chum is such an inspirational person and so kind despite the darkness he lived through. What a lesson for us all.

Man watering garden in Vietnam.

We have so enjoyed getting out of the cities and seeing the countryside.

Farmer with small crabs in Vietnam with The Big 65 Medicare Broker.

Asia is graying faster than almost any other part of the world. People are working longer and also staying active, which is a good thing. This farmer showed us the small crabs she gathered from the dry rice paddy on her farm.

Oliver the owl in Vietnam with The Big 65.

While visiting some caves near Luang Prabang, we met a group of children illegally selling wildlife to tourists. Buying this owl, we named him Oliver, was probably the wrong thing to do, he cost three dollars, but we did it anyway.

Oliver the owl on balcony with The Big 65.

We brought him back to the hotel and uncaged him on the balcony (of course he bit Quantz, because no good deed goes unpunished.)

Oliver stayed till night fall and then disappeared. Of course it won’t change the world, but it made us feel better.

Vietnam scene_Karl Bruns-Kyler of The Big 65.

That’s it for now. The reason I’m here is to make sure your coverage is working the way you expected it to be working.

So if you’re having issues, and you’ve already called your insurance carrier, reach out to Gray, my right hand man, Gray@thebig65.com, and we’ll make sure things get taken care of.

PLEASE forward this newsletter to anyone you know who needs help with their Medicare coverage.


Karl Bruns-Kyler

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


As a novice to navigating the Medicare system, I cannot recommend the services of Karl enough. His knowledge has saved my wife and I a lot of money, both on the Medicare supplement insurance and the drug coverage. Costs you nothing to listen and has saved up thousands of dollars over time.
-Robert B

Happy with my Service?  Click Here to Leave a Review.


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.”

The Big 65 Medicare Insurance Broker logo