May this post find you in good health with your Medicare coverage working properly.
This week, I read an article in the New York Times and it resonated:
“People get a big happiness boost from being with a romantic partner or friends but not from other people, like colleagues, children or acquaintances. Weather plays only a small role in happiness, except that people get a hearty mood boost on extraordinary days, such as those above 75 degrees and sunny. People are consistently happier when they are out in nature, particularly near a body of water, particularly when the scenery is beautiful.”
We shouldn’t expect to be happy all of the time, but we can make an effort to leverage activities that bring joy.
The article also stated, “the activities that make people happiest include sex, exercise and gardening.”
Hey everyone, it’s Karl with the Big 65 Medicare Insurance Services and I hope you are having a great week.
Today, I want to talk about preparing for a positive outcome if you end up in a skilled nursing facility.
If you have outpatient surgery or a hospital surgery, and the post follow up care requires time in a skilled nursing facility, make sure you plan for that in advance.
Know where you are going. Make sure you have a case manager set up as well as the name of a social worker. Accountability and having a plan of action in advance of visiting that skilled nursing facility will make a huge difference in the outcome and your return to the activities of daily living.
One of the biggest frustrations Medicare consumers experience daily is… the illegal telemarketing bombardment:
Phone calls, texts, and voicemails.
It’s insane.
It’s also against the law!
Medicare consumers are duped into believing they are making huge mistakes and leaving money on the table if they don’t engage with a complete stranger at a call center and switch plans.
Most of the calls are illegal; most do not have permission to contact you.
Most are bad news and here’s proof.
When a telemarketer calls (and if you mistakenly pick up) say this:
“Before we engage, please give me your FULL NAME, your STATE INSURANCE LICENSE and YOUR PHONE NUMBER, and I will confirm your identity and call you back.”
Watch them scamper like rats! And if they give their number, call me and I’ll help you report them.
Unless you’ve given “permission to contact,” telemarketers are breaking the law and they know it.
Do not fall for these call center ploys or you may end up in the wrong plan!
Take these steps to reduce unwanted calls:
1. Set up your iPhone or your Android only to receive calls from people you choose, people in your contacts. Here is the link on how to set up your phone and be sure to add my number to your safe list 😊.
2. Consider adding a third party call blocking app like Truecaller, YouMail, Robokiller or Hiya.
3. If these tech steps are above your paygrade (or you don’t have access to a grandchild for tech support,) visit your local cell phone provider and get them to help you set up your phone.
So how do you know if you are in a good Medicare Insurance Plan and purge the fear that you are making a mistake?
How do you know if you are leaving money on the table and continue to be an informed consumer?
The answer is simple…
Find a trusted independent Medicare Insurance Broker, someone you can work with year after year.
Check their google reviews.
Check if they have complaints with the Department of Insurance.
If you engage with an Independent Insurance Broker (not a captive sales agent trying to change your plan), you’ll get the help you need.
Medicare Consumers need a professional who will be there year after year, a professional who will answer questions (AFTER the sale) and to help them switch plans only if it is appropriate.
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.
