#TheBig65 Archives

Review Your Property and Casualty Insurance

Review Your Property and Casualty Insurance

Hey, it’s Karl with the Big 65 and I hope you are having a great week.

Plato and I are in Boulder, Colorado, and at the end of May, we’ve had about 12 inches of snow.

Today, I want to talk about reviewing your homeowner’s property and casualty and rental insurance.

Costs for almost every consumer index have gone up huge amounts, and if you have an unfortunate event with your home, or something gets stolen, you’ll want to make sure that the cost of replacing that is up to date based on current inflation.

Homeowners insurance policy include many different coverage types. Some of those common coverage types include:

Dwelling coverage: Covers damage to your house and any attached structures.

Other Structures: Covers damage to any structures not attached to the house.

Personal Liability: Covers financial losses from property damage and personal injuries to others, if found legally responsible.

Personal Property: Pays the value of damaged or lost possessions (furniture, electronics, clothing, etc.).

Flood Insurance: Separate policy that pays for flood-related damages to the house and contents.

Medical Payments: Pays medical bills for people hurt on the homeowner’s property or by the homeowner’s pets.

Earthquake Insurance: An add-on or separate policy that pays for damages to the house and other covered items caused by an earthquake.

Water Backup of Sewer: Pays for losses to the house from sewer or drain backup.

Now may be a good time to review your property and casualty insurance. Talk to your independent property and casualty insurance broker. Update your information and see if it makes sense to increase coverage and reduce rates.

That’s it for now. Have a great week and book a time on my calendar if you have Medicare insurance questions.

The Answer Is Out There!

The Answer Is Out There!

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.”

Michelle Kondo, a research social scientist with the USDA Forest Service’s Northern Research Station said this about being in the great outdoors:

“The physiological response to being outside in nature is real, and it’s measurable.”

So if you’re wondering about creating more happiness and more joy in your life – the answer is OUT THERE!

The choice is yours :), but if you do have questions about Medicare, book a time on my calendar.

www.theBig65.com

You Can’t Pick Your Family!

You Can’t Pick Your Family!

May this note find you in good health with your Medicare insurance working properly.

An important part of aging well includes maintaining healthy relationships.

Studies have shown that individuals with close connections to their community and their families tend to be healthier and happier.

The truth is, you can’t pick your family.

George Burns knew something about the happiness a family can bring:

“Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city.”
– George Burns

Another wise person said this about the importance of family:
Treat your family like friends and your friends like family.

Family doesn’t always mean your blood relatives. Many of us have close friends who are family.

Kids who spend more time with their family tend to perform well in school. Studies have also shown that kids who hang out with family tend to have fewer behavioral issues and fewer problems with substance abuse.

Studies have also shown that stronger family connections can increase lifespan by 50%!

So look for ways to stay connected.

And remember – you can’t pick your family … but you can pick your Medicare insurance coverage!

I may not be able to answer all your questions about the importance of family but I can help answer your questions related to Medicare.

Book a time on my calendar.

Try New Things

Try New Things!

I hope this note finds you well and in good spirits with your Medicare coverage working properly.

If it isn’t, or you’re tired of working with the faceless insurance call centers (where you are just a number),

Book a time on my calendar to get concierge Medicare insurance service.

Spring has finally sprung and yours truly is trying to practice what he preaches and is:

Taking care of Beesness :)!

As we age, it is so easy to fall into habitual patterns, some good, some bad.

When my father retired, his world shrunk down to the tv and the house.

He died two years later :(.

When my mother retired, her life expanded because she joined clubs, traveled and took up volunteering.

She lived another 30 years :).

Trying new things and learning new things has incredible health benefits.

Not only will you live longer and be happier, you’ll make everyone around you happier.

So you don’t have to be a bee keeper, but do look for something new to do or to try. Try new things!

And let me know about your adventures :).

Medicare Insurance is my speciality, but every day, I look to my clients to learn new ways to age well!

Now get out there and try something new!

Medicare and International Travel

Hello everyone, it’s Karl with The Big 65 Medicare Insurance Services and I hope you’re having a great week!

Today’s topic, Medicare and international travel.

This morning, a client let me know of an upcoming trip to Italy.

He wanted to know if Medicare would cover him or would it be necessary to purchase additional coverage.

The devil is always in the details 😊.

According to Medicare.gov, Medicare Supplements (Medigap Plans) have a:

Foreign travel emergency lifetime limit of $50,000.

Medicare Advantage plans typically have a benefit ranging from $50,000 to $250,000 for worldwide emergency care benefit.

These benefits typically only cover foreign travel emergencies during the first 60 days of international travel.

https://www.medicare.gov/supplements-other-insurance/medigap-travel

Regardless of where you are going, it is always prudent to check with your broker or the plan carrier for details.

For mainstream destinations in Europe and major metropolitan places near the US, this coverage may be fine.

If you are going to a remote third world area, you may want to consider purchasing a standalone emergency evacuation travel insurance plan.

Questions? Book a time on my calendar:

https://go.oncehub.com/QuestionsaboutMedicare

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

Watch Out For Skilled Nursing Facilities!

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.

Here’s an article to prepare for a skilled nursing stay.

Remember, proper planning prevents poor performance :).

That’s it for this week.

Questions about Medicare?

Book a time on my calendar. Have a great week and call me if you need me.

Death, Medicare & Taxes

Death and taxes, right?

Check with a tax professional first, but I was blown away that some of you all can take write offs for:

Medicare Part B, Med Supps, and Part D premiums if you are self-employed, that’s huge!
If you or your spouse are still working, check out if you can still contribute to retirement.
Snowbirds can consider switching the primary residence to avoid state taxes.
Look at gift giving, charitable deductions and total medical expenses (if the exceed 7.5% of your AGI.)

Here’s a great article from Kiplinger with that information.

And if you have questions about Medicare Insurance, book a time on my calendar here.

Here’s Why You Keep Getting Medicare Calls!

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.

That’s why I’m here. That’s why I love what I do.

So get those telemarketers out of your life and if you have questions, book a time on my calendar here.

#Medicare #Medicarescams #Turning65 #MedicareSupplements #MedicareAdvantagePlans #SeniorDentalPlans #AvoidMedicareFraud #CertifiedSeniorAdvisor #TrustedSeniorAdvisor #SeniorTravel #TheBig65 #trustedindependentMedicareinsurancebroker #MedicareInsurancebroker

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.