Omaha Insurance Solutions - August 2022

Omaha Insurance Solutions - August 2022

Club MED

August 2022

Adventures in Brazil PHOTO-OP WITH THE CHAMP AND RIO

My 13-year-old granddaughter, Brooke, was standing in line at a buffet in an airport lounge in Atlanta. A guy cut in front of her. She took him down at the knees and put him in a chokehold. When he tapped out, we realized it was the Champ Mike Tyson. Brooke asked, and he said yes to a photo.

When Eric and Rachel moved, they kidnapped our grandchildren, so we had to travel south to visit them. Madison, who is 16, is already conversing in Portuguese. Sam, the 6-year-old, jabbers like a native without an accent. It’s strange having 16- and 6-year-olds ordering your food for you in a restaurant and finding the bathrooms. Jake, the 3-year-old, is still working on English. Their new dog — a golden retriever, Rocky — is bilingual.

Just joking.

Bev, my wife, and I were taking Brooke down to Brazil to be with her family. Everyone was masked up in the airport. I saw a guy who looked familiar. I kept an eye on him. When he pulled down his mask for a moment, I saw it was Mike Tyson. I told Brooke that the Champ was sitting behind her. She froze. I suggested I talk with him to see if he would do a photo with her. She said no because she was too scared.

Brazil was not on my short or long list of places to visit, but we needed to fly south if I wanted to see the grandkids before they grew up. The trip is about 26 hours with layovers. While an adventure, it was indeed a travel challenge. While in Brazil, I made a quick trip to Rio de Janeiro. I wanted to see Jesus. One of my earliest memories of Brazil was the Pan Am Airline commercials in the 1960s that showed a

panoramic view of Rio with the famous Christ the Redeemer statue on top of the mountain outside Rio. The statue is genuinely giant. I could see Jesus from my hotel room and the roof of my hotel amidst the clouds. At night, he was lit, so I fell asleep with Jesus looking down on me. I could see him through the hotel window from my bed — a beautiful image with which to fall asleep.

Then, on her own, she approached him, and the Champ jumped up, and we snapped off some photos. He was a real gentleman. Brooke was the star with all her boy cousins. I didn’t realize she was a big fan.

Several hours later, we arrived in Brasilia, Brazil.

Our son-in-law, Eric, works for Homeland Security. He was assigned to the U.S. Embassy in Brazil’s capitol as the Homeland Security Attaché. His mission is to coordinate between the U.S. and Brazilian governments for interdicting drug, human, and arms trafficking. Chasing bad guys before they cross our borders is what he does.

–Christopher J. Grimmond

Medicare Insurance Made Easy

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CHANGING THE SCOPE OF EXERCISE LIVE LONGER AND STRONGER

Cycling Whether it be in a class or outdoors, cycling can be very beneficial for stiff or sore joints. You’re able to get your blood flowing and build muscles in the front and back of your legs as well as your hips. Your arms are also strengthened due to the resistance of balancing your arms and shoulders to steer. Yoga Holding a series of poses can stretch and strengthen your muscles, tendons, and ligaments. It also helps lower heart rate and blood pressure and can even relieve symptoms of anxiety and depression. For older adults, a well-rounded workout that consists of endurance, strength, balance and flexibility can help in many ways. Some can even be fun!

Your body undergoes a variety of changes over the years, many of which are degenerative and can be debilitating to your health. But exercise can help slow these age-related issues, like heart disease or high blood pressure, and even prevent them in the long run. Here are four ways you can get moving without overexerting yourself.

diseases like osteoporosis. If you want to sweat it out some more, jogging might be a great alternative. But remember to be kind to your joints: Walk at a pace you’re comfortable with, wear supportive shoes, take breaks as needed, and walk on soft surfaces, like tracks or grass. Gardening While gardening doesn’t seem as vigorous as other exercises, it is a hearty physical activity. Digging around in the dirt is actually great for your immune

Walking or Jogging Taking a stroll around the

neighborhood or a few laps around the

system, and it strengthens your arms, legs/knees, and balance. Mycobacterium vaccae, which

park can help build stamina, strengthen lower body muscles, and help fight against bone

is a bacteria commonly found in gardening soil, can alleviate symptoms of allergies, asthma, and even psoriasis.

3 SURPRISING ASPECTS OF CLAIM DENIAL AND A SOLUTION

Denial of claims is an important concern for clients. Many people have had the experience of an insurance company denying a claim or not approving a procedure. Some situations are highly charged because the health issue may be life-threatening and the treatment very expensive. When people come to Medicare, they intuitively ask if this could be a problem: Will Medicare or the insurance company deny coverage? There is always the possibility. A Harvard and University of Pennsylvania study identified $416 million worth of denied spending, or $60 of denied spending per beneficiary annually. Traditional Medicare coverage rules comprised 85% of denied services and 64% of denied spending, while Aetna’s Medicare Advantage plans made up the rest of the denials. The sample was nearly 3 million beneficiaries.

Advantage. The Medicare billing system is not remotely as complex as the billing system CMS (Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services) imposes on the insurance companies that offer Medicare Advantage plans. My second surprise from the study was the average cost of the claim denial: $60. When you hear about Medicare or Medicare Advantage denying a claim, your mind runs to big bills and life- critical treatments. An average denial of $60 puts the issue more into context. The third surprise was that the most significant denial was for low-value lab services and, after that, experimental or investigational services. Many times, clients will call when an issue arises with their coverage. When an issuing company and/or Medicare is saying no to a

procedure, I find the denial is usually rooted in a lack of supporting documentation.

Doctors’ offices and hospitals are busy. The billing codes are voluminous and complex. The miracle is that there are not more problems with medical procedures. Usually, the

issue comes from a lack of communication. Medicare

and/or the insurance company is not receiving the necessary reasons for the treatment.

When people call with a denial problem, I send them back to the doctor’s office with some suggestions on how to present the subject matter. Usually, we find out the case was not well presented. On the second try, the request is approved. Medicine, insurance, and administration are all very human. Mistakes need to be forgiven, and guidance and encouragement offered.

I was surprised that Medicare had a higher percentage of denial than Medicare

2 • OmahaInsuranceSolutions.com

FORMS OF YELLOW JOURNALISM It’s everywhere — misleading articles and video titles that grab your attention and entice you to click on them. Media outlets even exaggerate the truth to gain more views. This kind of journalism has garnered the labels clickbait and fake news . But how did these methods of journalism come to be? It all started in the 1890s with something called yellow journalism. What is yellow journalism? Yellow journalism and yellow press are terms for reporting poorly researched or illegitimate news stories. It’s all about exaggerating news events, scandal-mongering, or grabbing attention through sensationalized accounts of news events. It got the term “yellow” when New York World’s owner, Joseph Pulitzer, hired artist R.F. Outcault to create “Hogan’s Alley” (a comic strip) featuring The Yellow Kid. How did yellow journalism gain traction? Pulitzer originally wanted his newspaper to be more accessible to the working class and discuss crime and corrupt governments. His reporters would go undercover to investigate labor strikes, shady business deals, and corruption and then write to influence change. Originally, The Yellow Kid had appeared in Truth magazine in 1894 and 1895, but Pulitzer ran the first color printing of the “Hogan’s Alley” cartoon in New York World in 1895, and it became a huge hit. Then, William Randolph Hearst entered the picture. He acquired the New York Journal and competed relentlessly with Pulitzer’s New York World. He exaggerated his reporter’s headlines and created misinformed and misleading stories to grab his readers’ attention and gain more profit. He also offered Outcault more money if he started working for his newspaper. So, the cartoonist went back and forth between the two papers and went with whoever would pay him more money. Ultimately, Hearst’s newspaper became more popular than Pulitzer’s in only a few years, but both men are credited with spawning this incredibly influential, over-the-top reporting tactic. Clickbait and fake news are basically the same thing and have their origins in “yellow” New York journalism. Who would’ve thought the name of a fictional cartoon character could coin an entire style of journalism? Fake News and Clickbait —

Testimonial

“I was very impressed with the knowledge Chris has of the

Medicare system. He explained the different options available to me thoroughly and

overall, the process went very well. I would recommend Chris without hesitation to anyone trying to make decisions in regard to Medicare.”

– Tom V.

Creamy Avocado Gazpacho

Inspired by RainbowPlantLife.com

This refreshing and healthy gazpacho is sure to help you beat the heat! Ingredients • 2 cups fresh peas, shelled • 2 medium-large ripe avocados • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil • 1 serrano pepper, stem removed and sliced in half • 1 medium shallot, peeled and chopped in half • 1 medium English cucumber, roughly chopped • 1 cup fresh cilantro • 3 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice • 1 1/2 cups water, plus more for boiling • 1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk • Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste Directions 1. In a large bowl, prepare an ice bath. 2. In a saucepan, boil water and add peas. Once water returns to boil, cook for 90 seconds. 3. Transfer peas to ice bath. Drain once cooled. 4. In a blender, combine peas, avocado, olive oil, serrano pepper, shallot, cucumber, cilantro, lime juice, 1 1/2 cups water, and coconut milk. Blend until completely smooth and creamy. 5. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 6. Serve immediately at room temperature, or transfer to the fridge to serve chilled.

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11414 W. Center Rd., Suite 250 Omaha, NE 68144 402-614-3389 OmahaInsuranceSolutions.com

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INSIDE This Issue

Adventures in Brazil

1

2

4 Simple Yet Effective Ways to Work Out

Understanding Denial of Claims

2

3

It All Happened Because of a Cartoon

3

Testimonial

Creamy Avocado Gazpacho

3

4

What to Consider Before Buying an RV

Embarking on an RV Journey

3 Tips for Seniors Before Buying an RV

You can tour the country without ever having to leave your home — motor home, that is! Seniors around the country are all hopping aboard the RV train

especially if you’ve never taken a trip in one before! This way, you can take it for a nice long test drive and determine which features are must-haves and which you can do without. It’s also a great way to make sure you’re okay being in such a small space with your family, partner, or travel buddy!

renovate, and redecorate it to your liking with the money you saved. An additional perk is that insurance is usually cheaper on pre-owned RVs!

because it’s a great way to get up close and personal with nature while being

Do your research. There is much more to buying an RV

free to go where you want. One morning, your backyard can be Yellowstone National Park, and the next, you’re in the Mojave Desert! If you’re looking to purchase an RV in your golden years, here are some tips.

beyond the actual shopping experience. You have to also learn to drive and/or tow it! Before making a purchase, be sure to research and look up reviews on the driving experiences of other owners of the same make and model. An RV can be a second home, so take your time and make sure you’re getting exactly what you want. Before making your decision and pulling the trigger on your brand-new RV, make sure you’ve done your homework and are prepared for life on the road! A huge adventure awaits — the best thing you can be is prepared!

Don’t rule out pre-owned RVs. RVs can be expensive,

depending on which model you are looking into. In some cases, opting to purchase a pre- owned RV can save you a great deal of money. And, if you get a great deal on a pre-owned one, you can repair,

Rent one first. Renting an RV before you make the commitment to buy one is the way to go,

4 • OmahaInsuranceSolutions.com