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Club MED
October 2022
Shedding 30
SLOWLY BUT SURELY
We live in the greatest country in the world, but there are some drawbacks. It is easy to get fat.
ounce to save my life. Over
the years, I used different cardio machines to substitute for my lack of running, but to no avail. Earlier this year, my heel pain got worse even without running. I
I had a friend in my 20s who spent a weekend at the Iowa State Fair. He carried his 2-year-old son around in a baby carrier on his chest for two days. Dave sustained himself during that weekend with a high-nutrition diet of popcorn, cotton candy, and funnel cake. He stayed hydrated in the Iowa heat and humidity with Busch and Bud Lite. By Sunday night, he was on the sofa covered in ice packs with his feet elevated above his head and as red as a lobster. As my friends go, Dave was not the brightest bulb in the chandelier, but he was philosophical amidst his waves of nausea and delirium. Dave figured his son weighed about 30 pounds and was exhausted after carrying him around for two days. He also surmised he was about 30 pounds overweight. In a moment of clarity, he realized he was feeling bad because he was carrying an unnecessary 30 pounds of baggage. I suggested his breakfast of champions may have contributed something to his current state, but the result was that Dave started a weight loss program. Carrying an unnecessary 30 pounds was reducing the quality of his life. I hear similar stories from my wife when she comes home from the clinic. She is a physical therapist, and doctors will sometimes send her patients because of back and knee pain. She is supposed to “devise a program” to deal with their pain. The doctors, however, know the solution: Eat less, move more. It’s easier to pass the problem to the physical therapists, so they end up the bad guys. “You’re 30 or more pounds overweight. Your back and knees are telling you that. Eat less and move more.” When I hit 40, I started having problems with my heels when I ran. I tried all kinds of treatments, but nothing worked. The pain became too much. I stopped running. Consequently, I started gaining weight.
felt I had nothing to lose, so I had surgery. It turns out my Achilles tendon had all kinds of micro shards of bone in the tendon from my years of running. The doctor cleaned the bone chips out, and I’m fine now. I should have done it 20 years ago. Slowly, I started back running. It turns out that you can’t pick up at 60 years old where you left off at 40. I am quite a bit slower. In my 20s, I ran 6.5-minute miles when I would run for 5 miles. In my 30s, I slowed to 7.5 minutes. By my early 40s, I was closer to 8-minute miles. Now, on a 5-mile run, I am slogging along at over 10 minutes per mile. It is humiliating. It feels like I am really moving, but unfortunately, the run times are miserable because I am dragging my big butt behind me. I’ve been running with progressive regularity for almost six months now. It is frustrating because the scale tells me I’m still carrying the kid, and I’m not getting as fast as I would like. Charlie horses and pulled muscles force me to lay off and start over again. It is a slow journey. But the upside is I’m feeling the best I’ve ever felt. I’m actually excited to put on the running shoes and step out in the morning. I love seeing the morning star. The moon is usually still out, and by the end, the horizon is rosy with the beginning of dawn. I’m sore and exhausted, but I feel the lightness that comes with shedding the pounds one at a time. The runner’s high isn’t quite as euphoric as it was in my 20s, but it is not too bad for an old man.
Then I met Bev. She is a marvelous cook, so I started gaining more weight. I am easily 30 pounds overweight.
–Christopher J. Grimmond
There has never been a point in my life I didn’t exercise, but I’m terrible with diets. I like food, especially chocolate. I can’t lose an
Medicare Insurance Made Easy
402-614-3389 • 1
DO YOU NEED TO MAKE A CHANGE?
AEP IS HERE!
Annual Election Period (AEP) Oct. 15–Dec. 7 is here once again. AEP is the time of the year when you may make changes to your Medicare plan. You can change your Part D prescription drug plan or your Medicare Part C Medicare Advantage plan. You can change Medicare Supplements policies year-round. AEP is vital because your needs change. Your doctor may have added new medications to your list of prescriptions. The plans also change. Drugs drop off formularies or move from one tier to another. Other Part D plans may be a better deal for you because of the reduced price.
competitive or even that the overall annual cost appears lower. However, I can tell you from experience that if you cannot get your medications or get them promptly, it doesn’t matter if the Part D plan is free! When we determine the optimum Medicare Part D prescription drug plan for you and your current medication needs, we will send you the quote. The quote will have the specific insurance company, the total price for the year, the monthly breakdown, and the individual cost for each medication. Let us know if you see any errors. We’re not perfect — yet.
I find those on costly medications especially must be attuned to the season. Clients often tell me their medications have not changed, but the plans and the pricing do change!
You will also see the price of medications when you move into the gap (doughnut hole) and catastrophic phase if those are applicable.
You must complete the application by signing it if everything makes sense and looks good. A receipt will be emailed to you and us. The application will go to the insurance
Over the years, I have had clients call me in January, when it is too late to change
their Part D, complaining
that a particular medication has gone through the roof! AEP exists to address that issue.
company, which will confer with Medicare (CMS) for final approval. In two weeks, you will have your medical card and welcome package.
Please, email or mail us a current list of medications with the dosages. Prescription drugs come in many forms, so the dosage is critical. If it is a
The whole process is simple, easy-peasy.
You are good for 2023.
solution or cream, a flex pen or vial, tablet or capsule, all of those details can drastically affect the price in some cases.
Give us time when you send in your medications. Angie, my assistant; Bev, my lovely wife; and I are the whole team, and there are hundreds of you. Also, I have found over the years that the pharmaceutical companies, the insurance companies, and ultimately Medicare do not have all the correct prices uploaded to the systems on Oct. 15. I like to wait a couple of weeks before I run the medications because I have seen the numbers change during the AEP season. I would not want to put you in one Medicare Part D plan to find out there is a better plan in February.
Once we have your medications and preferred pharmacies, we run them through computer software that reviews all the Medicare Part D prescription drug plans in your area with your unique list of medications. The software is like a giant calculator. It tells us if the medicines are covered, the preferred pharmacies, and your total cost for the year. Medicare uses a five-star rating system to evaluate the quality of the Part D plan. I only use plans that have at least a 3.5-star rating. Sometimes, a client will tell me another plan is more
2 • OmahaInsuranceSolutions.com
Testimonial
BUILD THE COMMUNITY THROUGH GIVING Doing Good Does You Good Volunteering not only strengthens the community but also benefits the person who serves. For those who enjoy spending their time giving back, check out how volunteering opportunities can benefit you! IMPROVES MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH When you do good, you feel good. Those positive emotions lead to emotional resilience, which helps you in the face of crisis or stress. They also decrease stress while increasing positive, relaxed feelings. Volunteering gives you a sense of meaning and appreciation, which can reduce the symptoms of depression and anxiety. Volunteer activities also keep people moving. Whether it is carrying donation boxes, walking around the neighborhood, planting a community garden, or even cleaning litter from the roads, this moderate physical activity can help strengthen muscles, reduce blood pressure, and even alleviate symptoms of chronic pain. PREVENTS ISOLATION AND PROMOTES SOCIALIZATION Many older adults face social isolation, and it can have negative impacts on their overall health. Volunteering is a great way to network with members of the community and meet new people. Likewise, after moving to a new neighborhood or leaving a career, it is difficult to find a new social group. But when you work with people toward the same goal, you may find you have common interests with other volunteers. You can even invite your family or friends to help, and then catch up while doing something good for the community. GIVES A FEELING OF PURPOSE Sometimes as life changes and you grow older, your sense of purpose may begin to fade. Volunteering can help recharge a zest for life and may even motivate you to set and accomplish new goals. You should volunteer for many reasons, whether it’s to give back to the community, help the environment, or satisfy your own personal needs. No matter why, it’s a great way to get out there and do some good.
“Chris is the ideal resource for setting up and maintaining Medicare. He is knowledgeable, diligent and relates in a personable fashion.”
–Walker M.
Pumpkin Pie Parfaits
Inspired by Kenarry.com
These parfaits are an easy fall dessert everyone can make!
Ingredients • 3.4 oz instant vanilla pudding mix
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 2 cups cold milk
• 1 cup vanilla
• 15-oz can
sandwich cookies
pumpkin purée
• 8 oz whipped topping
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Directions 1. In a large bowl, whisk together pudding mix and milk. Let sit for 5 minutes, then stir in pumpkin purée, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground cloves. 2. In a blender or food processor, crush vanilla sandwich cookies into crumbs. 3. In small jars or glasses, place cookie crumbs on bottom, then pumpkin mixture, then whipped topping. Repeat these layers twice and end with cookie crumbs.
4. Chill until ready to serve!
402-614-3389 • 3
11414 W. Center Rd., Suite 250 Omaha, NE 68144 402-614-3389 OmahaInsuranceSolutions.com
PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
Code 69120_100422_MK
INSIDE This Issue
Shedding the Weight
1
2
Make Changes During AEP
3
Benefits of Volunteering for Older Adults
3
Testimonial
Pumpkin Pie Parfaits
3
3 Outdoor Halloween Attractions Guaranteed to Spook
4
Get Out of the (Haunted) House
With These 3 Outdoor Halloween Attractions
Halloween is just around the corner. You’ll soon have trick-or-treaters approaching your door requesting a healthy share of candy. Before then, you may want to go out and feel the thrills of the season yourself, but maybe you’re someone who doesn’t enjoy the cramped spaces of haunted houses. You don’t have to step indoors to experience a spooky attraction, though. There are plenty of outdoor Halloween attractions to check out, and here are three of the most thrilling. ZOMBIE PAINTBALL We’ve all watched a scary movie and thought we could do better than some of the characters in these extreme situations. Now is your chance to prove it. There are zombie paintball courses throughout the country, and they can be a great time for everyone involved. You’ll step aboard a bus or trailer outfitted with paintball guns and
proceed along a course full of zombies and creatures. Before long, your friends and family will get into the competitive spirit to see who can hit the most targets.
HAUNTED HAYRIDE So, what if you want the best of both worlds? You may want to feel scared without walking through a maze or using a paintball gun. That’s where haunted hayrides come in. On a haunted hayride, you’ll hop aboard a platform that’s being towed by a tractor or truck as they take you through a dark forest and possibly some barns.
HAUNTED CORN MAZE Haunted houses are great if you’re trying to experience some jump scares. But if you want to
get the haunted house experience in an outdoor setting, you should check out a haunted corn maze. You’ll hear
Performers will be woven throughout to provide scares at the perfect moments. It’s a great way to get the classic Halloween experience without having to walk through a house or maze.
screams coming from all around to help amp
up the fear. It’s also a great way to get some exercise!
4 • OmahaInsuranceSolutions.com
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