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Club MED
April 2020
Honoring My Mom for Cancer Control Month
Seven years ago, I lost my mom to ovarian cancer, and since April is National Cancer Control Month, I wanted to take this time to remember and honor her. From a distance, cancer is like a lot of things in life — it feels scary. But once you get up close and start working your way through it, it’s not fun, but it is a little less scary. My mom grew up in Council Bluffs, known locally as “Counciltucky,” which is across the river and the tracks, both literally and figuratively, from Omaha. She went to St. Albert High School, and her memory is everywhere in the city. The house I grew up in is off the main street in Omaha, and I avoided driving down that street for years following her death because it was just too painful. While my mom was certainly the closest person to me who got cancer, she wasn’t the first or only person in my life to get this disease. I like to check up on my clients regularly, and when I recently called on one of my clients to see how she was doing, her husband answered and told me that his wife, my client, was very sick. She’d been diagnosed with cancer in October. Since I come to care deeply about my clients as I work with them over the years, I asked if I could come by to see her. When I got there, she was comatose. I sat and I prayed over her, and she passed just a few hours after I left. Cancer can move fast like that. The memory of my mom and the memories of all the people I’ve cared about and lost to cancer live on everywhere in Omaha. I guess that’s part of having deep roots in a community. In the end, something comes for all of us. In the meantime, I’ll do my best to hold up those values my mom taught me — faith, family, and country. —Chris Grimmond CFP ® 402-614-3389 • 1
When I was a little boy, maybe 5 years old, I was standing on the side of the street throwing rocks back and forth with a neighbor. A car drove in between us, and by accident, I broke its windshield. The people in the car got out and came inside the house to explain what happened to my mom. While they were there, she was totally calm. She was apologetic, and of course, she paid for the windshield. But as soon as they were gone, she panned my butt like you would not believe. That’s how my mom was. She was strict, and she kept me and my brothers on the straight and narrow as we grew up. I was the oldest of my three brothers, and I think she mellowed out with time, but when I was growing up, she was a perfectionist. Faith, family, and country were all big values to her, and she did a good job of passing those on to me. When my mom was pregnant with my brother, she was on bed rest for months and months. I was probably only 4 or 5 years old, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches were the only things I knew how to make. I used to make PB&J after PB&J for the two of us, all day long until my dad got home. To this day, I still can’t stand peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, but that memory has stayed with me.
“The memory of my mom and the memories of all the people I’ve cared about and lost to cancer live on everywhere in Omaha.”
Medicare Insurance Made Easy
Here’s How to Plan for It Ready to Take Up the Nomadic Lifestyle After Retirement?
You’ve worked hard for years to arrive at this moment: retirement. Now that you’re free of your 9-to-5 job, you have a lot more time for activities you enjoy. That extra time is what leads many people to turn to a nomadic lifestyle after retirement. Touring in an RV, sailing around the world, or even just retiring to a cabin in a remote locale are all popular options for new retirees. If the spirit of adventure is calling you, here are some financial tips to set you on the right path. income to fund their travels, staying in apartments and rentals as they go. If that seems too drastic, downsizing to a smaller home is also a good option, especially if you plan to travel in intervals but want a home base to return to. This also gives you the option of renting your home while you’re away and using the money to continue traveling. Ask Other Nomads Crowdsource advice from friends and family members who’ve taken the leap. Lots of other people have shared Downsize Before You Go Some folks choose to sell their home and use the
your dream and made it a reality. Many have turned their experience into books or blogs, like Lynne Martin, who’s been traveling around the world with her husband, Tim, for the last three years. The Martins used the sale of their home to finance their travels. They also take cruises to cut down on travel costs and often dine in to save money. Do Your Research If you have a specific place in mind for your retirement, like Hawaii or Texas, look at rental costs and other lifestyle changes
that can affect your budget. For example, Hawaii’s cost of living is cheaper than other popular retirement states, like Florida, but basic commodities may be more expensive. If a boat or RV is more your style, be sure to add repair and fuel costs into your budget. As you go about researching and planning, be sure to consult with your financial advisor so they can help you look at your current situation and make adjustments. With the proper planning, you’ll be living your nomadic dream in no time.
current coverage is better than Medicare, you may still want to enroll in Medicare Part A because it provides hospital coverage, and it doesn’t cost you anything. In this situation, your employer’s plan will typically be filed first, and Medicare Part A will be filed second, so you won’t actually end up using it. But it’s free to get, and signing up takes just a few minutes online.
To be eligible for Medicare, you have to be at least 65 years old, unless you are on disability. You can enroll in Medicare in a seven-month enrollment window: three months before your birthday, the month of your birthday, and three months after your birthday. If you miss that window, you’ll have to wait for a special enrollment period. Of course, becoming eligible for Medicare doesn’t necessarily mean that signing up for Medicare is the best option for you. If you’re still working at 65 and you’re on an employer health care plan or your spouse’s health care plan, you might find that enrolling in Medicare parts A and B would mean a downgrade in coverage from your current plan, even if you add a supplement. My advice is to check the numbers. Make sure that your current coverage is better than what’s available through Medicare. However, even if you discover that your
What you don’t want to do is enroll in Medicare Part B, which costs $134 per month per person and provides coverage for doctor and outpatient procedures. As with Medicare Part A, Medicare Part B comes second to your employer’s health coverage, so it will most likely cover nothing or very little. Getting your Medicare coverage wrong — or missing an enrollment period — can have long-lasting effects. Check your numbers and know your deadlines! To learn more about Medicare eligibility and many more Medicare topics, check out our extensive video library at OmahaInsuranceSolutions.com/Medicare-News.
2 • OmahaInsuranceSolutions.com
Hear What Our Clients Have to Say
Medicare and Skilled Nursing Facilities How to Determine Your Coverage Skilled nursing facilities (SNF) can cause much consternation for Medicare beneficiaries, who often find Medicare’s definitions and requirements for covering SNFs confusing. Medicare rules, protocols, and forms must be followed for beneficiaries to receive coverage for care at SNFs, and if these rules aren’t followed, coverage may be denied. When skilled nursing is prescribed, certain essential criteria must be met for this service to be covered by Medicare. If you or your doctor misunderstands any one of these criteria, your coverage may be jeopardized. One of the most important criteria that must be met for Medicare to cover a stay in an SNF is that the treatment the patient receives can only be provided by an SNF, which usually equates to full-time or five-days-a-week care. If the patient could otherwise receive the same kind of treatment with weekly appointments at a treatment center, Medicare will not pay for an SNF. Making this distinction isn’t always easy, and these insurance decisions can be — and often are — challenged. For example, I once had a client who’d had a knee replacement, which, even with complications, usually does not require admittance to an SNF because patients can complete follow-up physical therapy at a physical therapist’s office and do exercises on their own at home. But this situation was different because my client was living in a small apartment with lots of furniture, a pet, and a feeble husband, making her at risk for a fall. While my client was not very old, her knee was not recovering at the usual pace, so her doctor recommended skilled nursing care. But Medicare denied the prescription. When her family came to me with questions, I suggested that they explain the situation to the doctor in greater detail and with more urgency, communicating that she was a serious fall risk because of her living situation. Once the doctor sufficiently emphasized this in their notes to Medicare, Medicare understood that the work the
“Chris came prepared to our meeting, and he explained Medicare and the Medicare plans to my husband and me in layman’s terms.” - Dixie H.
Sesame Zucchini Noodles When you’re craving takeout but want to keep your dinner healthy and refreshing, reach for this comforting, flavorful recipe instead of the phone.
Ingredients
• 4 medium zucchini • Salt, to taste • 3 medjool dates, pitted and softened in warm water for 5 minutes • 3 1/2 tbsp creamy, unsweetened almond butter • 3 tbsp coconut aminos • 3 tbsp pure sesame oil • 3/4 tsp fresh ginger, grated
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar • 3 scallions, thinly sliced • 1/4 cup chopped almonds
Directions
patient had done would be undone if she fell at home because of a pet, her furniture, or a complication in assisting her husband. Finally, the request was approved. Skilled nursing is very expensive, and Medicare needs to understand the medical necessity of a prescription before it will provide coverage. However, once this need has been communicated effectively by your medical provider, coverage for an SNF may be possible.
1. If you have a spiralizer, use it to cut zucchini into noodles. Otherwise, use a peeler. Salt zucchini. Allow zucchini to “sweat” out water for 1 hour, wrap in a paper towel, and squeeze the water out. 2. In a food processor, blend dates with almond butter and aminos until smooth. 3. Add sesame oil, ginger, garlic, and vinegar and pulse until sauce is smooth. 4. In a pan, sauté zucchini noodles until heated and slightly softened. 5. Toss zucchini noodles with prepared sauce and top with scallions and almonds.
Inspired by PaleoRunningMomma.com
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INSIDE This Issue
1
Honoring My Mom for Cancer Control Month
2
How to Make the Most of a Nomadic Lifestyle After Retirement
2
What’s the Right Medicare Plan for Me?
3
Medicare and Skilled Nursing Facilities
3
Sesame Zucchini Noodles
4
Did You Spot These Movie Easter Eggs?
Did You See It? 3 of Hollywood’s Best Movie Easter Eggs
Mermaid” was their ship, and some even think that Tarzan’s parents were actually Anna and Elsa’s parents, who survived the wreck.
This April, many kids will search excitedly for Easter eggs, but aside from the holiday treat, the term “Easter egg”
has a fun alternate meaning when it comes to media. In this context, an Easter egg refers to a hidden surprise or message, and people often enjoy trying to find as many as they can. This spring, turn on some of these classic movies and see if you can spot a few of Hollywood’s Easter eggs yourself. At the beginning of Disney’s “Frozen,” released in 2013, Elsa and Anna’s parents leave to journey across the ocean. Their destination is unknown, and sadly, a treacherous storm sinks their ship. Three years later, their eldest daughter, Elsa, is coronated, and guests arrive at the castle. If viewers scan the crowd of visitors, they will see Flynn and Rapunzel from the 2010 Disney movie “Tangled.” (Notice the time difference?) The theory, confirmed by filmmakers, is that Elsa and Anna’s parents were traveling to Flynn and Rapunzel’s wedding. The connections continue with claims that the shipwreck in “The Little 4 • OmahaInsuranceSolutions.com Disney Royalty’s Family Tree
Frank Abagnale Arresting ‘Himself’
At 15 years old, Frank Abagnale Jr. started his career as one of the U.S.’s most prolific con artists. Abagnale scammed the government out of money, impersonated pilots and doctors, and swindled banks, making his story seem like a Hollywood plot. In 2002, “Catch Me If You Can,” starring Tom Hanks and Leonardo DiCaprio, created just that. The movie follows the life of Abagnale, who briefly appears in the movie himself to arrest DiCaprio, who plays a young Abagnale. Today, Abagnale serves as a security consultant and teaches courses for the FBI. No movie franchises are as prolific as George Lucas’ “Star Wars” and “Indiana Jones,” but they also share another Hollywood connection. Both series feature Harrison Ford, who plays Indiana Jones and Han Solo, and the franchises make references to each other, including hieroglyphics in “Indiana Jones” that feature R2-D2, C-3PO, and Princess Leia, as well as a club named Club Obi Wan. Though “The Empire Strikes Back” was filmed before “Indiana Jones,” Lucas had Ford in mind for his next great story and gave Han Solo a bullwhip in reference to Indy’s famous go-to tool. Indiana Jones and Han Solo Teaming Up
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