Omaha Insurance Solutions - March 2022

Omaha Insurance Solutions - March 2022

Club MED

March 2022

HOW PREVIOUS INFLATIONS AFFECTED ME AND MY FAMILY My father’s company, Toledo Scales, was purchased in one of those leveraged buyouts that were famous during the ‘70s. It was exciting because he had a few shares of stock. The stock price went up, and he sold the stock to pay for central air for the house because we still had window air conditioner units. It is hard to believe we didn’t have air conditioning when I grew up. March Inflation Is Back

By the end of the ‘70s, the boom was going to bust with high inflation during the Carter administration. I remember my parents, aunts, and uncles talking about the great interest rates they got on CDs: 10%. I also remember my older cousins talking about the interest rates on mortgages: 15%. Then the bottom fell out with “stagflation” when unemployment hit 11% in 1982. After my dad worked there for 23 years, Toledo closed its operations in Omaha. The plan was to work until he retired and got the gold watch. But, instead he was laid off. My father had never been unemployed since he started working at 12, and when

back then. I remembered him at Congressional hearings, chewing on a cigar when I was a kid.

I was in Mexico in 1983 when I learned how our nation’s inflation helped sink the Mexican economy. We would only exchange enough money from dollars to pesos to get by through the day because the peso's value was dropping by the hour. At one point, they dropped a zero off their currency.

this happened he was 48. That being said, this felt like one of the most devastating experiences for my family. During this time, I was away in the seminary, and my brothers were still at home. My mother had just started back working a little secretarial job at the College of St Mary’s. (She hadn’t worked since I was born in 1961.) Anyway, things

I dined at the same restaurant and hotel where the exiled Shah of Iran ate — Las Mananitas, a world- famous restaurant with peacocks on the lawn. To this day, it is the most beautiful restaurant I have ever been to. It cost me $10 U.S.

“I think we are headed to hard times, including your Medicare plan. But I will be with you every step of the way. ”

Inflation is currently running at 7.2%. Your Medicare Part B

were very tight, and it seemed humiliating. Looking back, I think the whole experience broke my father — he never quite recovered. As for the nation, things got worse. I took a graduate economics course at University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) a couple of years ago. I had always been interested in how the hidden forces of economics could affect people’s lives, as it did to us. My paper was on the inflation of the 1970s and '80s. I read the minutes from the Federal Reserve meetings and got to know Paul Volker, the Fed chairman,

premium increased this year by 15%. That was the largest percentage increase in Medicare’s history. I think we are headed to hard times, including your Medicare plan. But I will be with you every step of the way.

As circumstances evolve and change, I’ll keep you briefed in my newsletter and website.

–Christopher J. Grimmond

Medicare Insurance Made Easy

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ICE OR HEAT?

HOW TO TREAT INJURIES AT HOME

Whenever we suffer an injury that doesn’t require a doctor visit, we are usually told to do one of two things: ice the area or apply heat to it.

Different injuries require different treatments. For example, applying heat to an ankle sprain will not help as much as applying ice. Let’s look at which injuries require heat or ice and how it relieves pain or reduces swelling. Injuries You Should Apply Ice To You want to apply ice to acute or short-term injuries. Acute injuries consist of ankle or knee sprains, muscle or joint sprains, red or swollen body parts, and pain after an exercise. Icing an area will lower the amount of swelling you have and make the healing process quicker. Be sure to limit icing sessions to 20 minutes. Over-icing can irritate your skin or cause tissue damage. If you have an ice pack or frozen packages in your freezer, you can use those to treat the painful areas. If not, you can put ice in a bag. Wrap it or any other item you’re using in a paper towel or washcloth before applying it to your skin. You should continue to ice your injury for the next two days. Injuries You Should Apply Heat To If you have chronic pain, it’s best to apply heat to that area. This pain can tell you that your body hasn’t fully healed from the injury.

You can use heat for muscle pain or soreness, stiff joints, arthritis, and recurring injuries.

Applying heat allows your blood vessels to expand and help your muscles relax. Only use heat in 20-minute increments and don’t sleep with any heating treatment. This can cause blisters, irritation, and maybe burns. You can use heat for 2–3 days after the injury occurs. Use a heating pad or a hot, wet towel, or take a hot shower or bath to relieve pain. An easy way to determine if you need to ice or heat an area is this: If it’s swollen, apply ice. If it’s stiff, use heat. But if you’re unsure if you should use ice or heat, or if the pain is still occurring after treatment, contact your PT for assistance. They will provide you with further treatment options to help you with your discomforts.

MY BACK HURTS! DOES MEDICARE COVER CHIROPRACTIC CARE?

Medicare will not pay for these services if ordered by a chiropractor. However, if other medical doctors ordered and performed a test, the chiropractor can use that information. But they cannot order procedures themselves with Medicare. If you have

Have you ever pulled a muscle in your back? Does your back hurt in general? Do you need to get it checked out by a chiropractor? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you might want to know if Medicare covers chiropractic care. So, let’s take a look and see what chiropractic services are covered within your plan. Does Medicare cover chiropractic care? When looking at Medicare, part A and part B make up the Original Medicare. Part A helps cover your cost if you are in the hospital. Part B helps pay for doctor visits, lab tests, preventive services, and more. Medicare part B only covers certain chiropractic services, such as spinal manipulation or subluxation. Spinal manipulation is a technique where practitioners use their hands to apply pressure to a specific joint. Subluxation is when one or more of the bones in your spine move out of position. Which chiropractic services does Medicare not cover? There are more items that Medicare doesn’t cover within chiropractic care. For example, Medicare doesn’t cover laboratory tests, X-rays, office visits, injections, prescriptions, or diagnostic studies (like EKGs, acupuncture, and supplements).

private insurance there may be some additional

chiropractic care benefits that Original Medicare doesn’t offer.

Will Medicare expand to cover more chiropractic care? The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) is working hard to increase Medicare’s coverage. The Chiropractic Medicare Coverage Modernization Act has been introduced to the House of Representatives to allow coverage to items such as evaluation and management services, diagnostic imaging, and other services that are not covered by Medicare right now. If you have any questions about Medicare coverage, allow your friends at Omaha Insurance Solutions to help you. We would be happy to go through your Medicare plan and see what is and isn’t covered.

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3 TIPS TO GET YOU STARTED How Can You Be More Productive? March is the least productive month of the year. Some people have claimed that March Madness is one of the reasons why people aren’t as productive. WalletHub estimated that 70 million people filled out their brackets instead of doing their work. This led to a corporate loss of $6.3 billion in 2017. Whether you’re focused on the tournament or not feeling motivated this month, here are some tips on staying productive and completing your goals. Create a to-do list. It can be hard to complete your goals and stay productive if you aren’t sure of everything you need to do. By creating a to-do list, you will focus on your tasks and stay more organized. There are a few different ways you can organize your list. You can look at all of the tasks you have for the month and write them down accordingly. You can also look at your items and write them down as you begin preparing for your week. Whichever you decide, find a system that works best for you and your goals. Divide big tasks into smaller ones. It can sometimes be intimidating when we look at a huge upcoming task. This could cause you to avoid planning time-consuming tasks. To ensure that you get your big task completed without spending hours on the entire thing, you can break it up into smaller sections. You can dedicate a day to planning how you want your assignment to look, a day to research topics, and then several days to put everything together. By doing this, you will feel more accomplished with every small task you complete. Focus on one thing at a time. Multitasking is a great tool that you can use to get things done fast, but sometimes it’s not the best resource to remain productive. Concentrating is the primary tool you need to stay productive. It can be hard to concentrate on your tasks if you’re trying to do more than one thing at the same time. Oftentimes, multitasking can burn you out. It may seem like it will take you longer, but if you’re concentrating on the task at hand, you may find yourself getting the job done quicker than you expected. These are only a few of the many tips you can use to stay productive. You may not get everything right the first time, and that’s okay. Staying motivated, focused, and dedicated to your goals will allow you to aim for productivity. It may take some trial and error, but that’s part of the journey — remain optimistic and believe in yourself. You got this!

Testimonial

“Chris has been wonderful to work with - very knowledgeable and helpful. With the dizzying array of options for Medicare Part C plans, he was able to help us zero in on the best one for us! And his office was very helpful throughout the enrollment process when we had questions or delays. They kept us on track making sure we followed through with our tasks and that we were getting responses/approval from SSA and the insurance companies as necessary.

We highly recommend Chris and have referred our friends!”

– Linda A.

Easy March Madness Chili

Inspired by MyRecipes.com

Cheer on your favorite team and chow down in minutes with this easy chili recipe!

Ingredients • 2 lbs ground beef

• 2 16-oz cans diced tomatoes • 2 16-oz cans small red beans • 2 8-oz cans tomato sauce

• 2 tbsp chili powder

• 1 tbsp Creole seasoning

• 1 tsp ground cumin

Directions

1. In a deep pot, brown the beef, stirring often.

2. Once beef is cooked, add chili powder, Creole seasoning, and cumin, cooking for 1 minute. 3. Stir in diced tomatoes, beans, and tomato sauce and bring the mixture to a boil. 4. After the mixture boils, reduce the heat to low and let chili simmer for 15 minutes. 5. Serve with toppings of choice, like cheese, sour cream, or chives.

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PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411

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

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INSIDE This Issue Your Medicare Might Be Affected By Inflation

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Is Your Injury Swollen or Stiff?

Medicare Only Covers Two Chiropractic Services

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To-Do Lists Will Be Your Best Friend

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Testimonial

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Easy March Madness Chili

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Should You Rock a Mullet?

Find Out if This Hot Look Is Right for You Wait ... the Mullet Is Back?

If you rocked a mullet or wolf cut back in the ’70s alongside Rod Stewart and Meryl Streep, we have good news: The mullet is back in style.

Mullets have also been spotted in art from ancient Greece, Rome, and Egypt, and are a traditional hairstyle for some Native American tribes. The mullet first went mainstream in the 1970s and ’80s, when musicians chose it for its iconic androgyny. But in the ’90s and early 2000s, mullets fell out of fashion — fast. Insider writes that “people began to see mullets as representations of being dirty and having a low income.” They disappeared overnight. By 2021, the mullet was the “it” hairstyle again, and 20- and 30-somethings aren’t the only ones opting for business in the front and a party in the back. Dolly Parton, a 75-year- old style icon, has rocked a blonde mullet wig on stage for years, and 51-year-old actress Taraji Henson has also owned the look! Before asking your stylist for a mullet or wolf cut (the longer, shoulder-length version of a mullet), think long and hard about your hair type and texture. If you have straight hair, don’t be discouraged by awesome photos of wavy mullets — you’ll just have to style your hair daily to get that look. Instead, Google your current hair type (thin, straight, thick, wavy, curly) along with the word “mullet” to get a realistic picture.

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