Omaha Insurance Solutions - November 2020

Omaha Insurance Solutions - November 2020

Club MED

November 2020

HOW OUR ‘WORST’ YEAR GAVE OUR FAMILY THE BEST THANKSGIVING EVER A Holiday Celebration After the Recession of ‘81

The best Thanksgiving I’ve ever had was, arguably, during one of the worst years for my family.

Poverty was one thing, but the way he saw himself as a gargantuan failure was another. My mother was still working, but it wasn’t really enough to support the whole family. My brothers were finishing high school, and I know this might come as a surprise, but aspiring to the priesthood didn’t bring in a lot of money either. My father was forced to collect unemployment checks and take charity from church, which was even more humiliating for him. Then, Thanksgiving came around. For better or worse, we weren’t about to share our mixed feelings about it. This was ‘81, pre-Oprah. But my parents did everything they could do to make it great for us, despite how hard they’d been hit that year — and that’s the closest we’ve ever been as a family. An experience like that makes you so phenomenally appreciative for the things you have. That’s why, no matter how bad it gets —even in a year as extraordinarily terrible as 2020 — I can’t really find reasons to complain so long as I’m breathing and have food on the table with my family around it. It’s not easy to see why those simple things are so great at first. Ever tried to share the ancient wisdom, “So long as you have your health, you have everything” to a kid? Man, it’s a hard sell. But seeing my father’s depression sap away his health gave me a whole new insight on the importance of it, both physical and mental. When we have plenty of something, it’s hard to appreciate it. But as soon as we understand the hardships of life, and how anything can be taken away from us, we’re less likely to take things for granted. Regularly counting our blessings can truly change our entire perspective on life.

For 23 years, my father was a mechanic for the Toledo Scale Company. For those who aren’t familiar, Toledo Scale has been the leading manufacturer of scales in the U.S. since 1901 — mainly because it was the only scale manufacturer for a long time. Whether you were using a grocery scale or a truck scale, it was probably a Toledo scale. I have very fond memories of tagging along as he’d fix butcher scales at Hinky Dinky or Piggly Wiggly, if you recall those grocery stores. The butchers would give me different treats and the women would wrap them. We’d also use his company truck to deliver newspapers. He’d run it idly down the street as my brothers and I literally ran behind it, grabbing rolled papers from the open cargo and throwing them at homes. It was a crazy good time.

So it was a shock for our whole family when, in the fall of 1981, my father lost his job with Toledo Scales.

He was an excellent employee who’d never missed a day of work and had planned to retire from that job. The company even gave unique pins to staff that had a 30- or 50-year tenure. Unfortunately, there was a huge recession in ‘81. And, for the very first time since my father began working when he was 10 or 12 years old, he was left unemployed. He had dropped out of high school and didn’t have many other skills aside from fixing scales. He was devastated. We were all devastated, but I was 19 and had started seminary school at the time. I didn’t fully understand what he was going through until later in life.

May we all remember to be a little more thankful for the important stuff, and I wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving.

“Poverty was one thing, but the way he saw himself as a gargantuan failure was another.”

–Christopher J. Grimmond

Medicare Insurance Made Easy

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Worried About Slipping and Falling This Winter? A TRIP TO THE PHYSICAL THERAPIST MIGHT HELP

When was the last time you slipped and fell on a patch of ice? If your immediate thought was “last winter,” then you’ve probably been dreading the arrival of this year’s snowy walkways and frozen parking lots. We don’t blame you! Slipping and falling can be dangerous, especially for older people. According to the National Council on Aging, emergency departments treat more than 2.8 million fall- related injuries every year, and falls are the leading cause of fatal injuries among older adults. Those are some pretty scary statistics, no matter your age. So, what can you do to protect yourself? Well, apart from wearing nonslip shoes and watching where you walk, one of the best ways to keep yourself safe from falls is by improving your balance, and a physical therapist can help. Usually when physical therapy makes the news, it’s because a therapist helped a famous athlete recover from an injury or assisted a car crash victim in learning to walk again. These cases are inspiring, but they leave out half of the story about what PT can do. Not only can physical therapists help people recover from injuries, but they can

also prevent them by guiding patients through exercises to improve their balance, strength, and flexibility.

Physical therapists are movement experts with a keen insight into how the muscles in your body work together. Identifying your weak

spots and strengthening them with targeted exercises can help give you the coordination and agility you need to stay on your feet in slippery or icy conditions. A licensed physical therapist can customize a workout specifically for you, but you can also start improving your balance today with simple at-home exercises. ChoosePT.com is a great resource and offers guides to easy workouts like marching in place, standing on one leg, and walking heel to toe. To learn more about which exercises will help you the most, reach out to a physical therapist for some advice.

How Often Does Medicare Change, Really? THE INCEPTION OF MEDICARE, PART I “Medicare changes!”

People were living longer in the ‘60s. As workers got older, they stopped working and a new concept emerged — retirement. These retirees needed health insurance because they were no longer receiving this benefit from their employer. And as we know, the cost of health coverage grows exponentially as we age, which made it difficult for retirees to find health coverage because insurance companies did not want to pay the costs to cover these older individuals. As medical bills began impoverishing citizens in their final years, Medicare was created as a solution for adults 65 and older. The law was amended in 1972 to include individuals under 65 who had been disabled for two years and those with end stage renal disease (ESRD). My father got on Medicare early because his kidneys failed, and he had to go on dialysis, which is incredibly

expensive. A couple years later, he got a kidney transplant.

“Get the most out of your Medicare benefits.”

Today, clients call me on a regular basis because they hear Medicare is “changing.” When you call the celebrity- sponsored commercial ad number, they’ll probably tell you your current plan is not very good, but the one they can switch you to is the cat’s meow. But this is misleading. The truth is that Medicare changes, but it does so very slowly, over a long time. One of the reasons I started my newsletter and website was to keep clients abreast of changes to their plans or in the Medicare world in general. However, I’m happy to break down a few older changes as well, so you’re always completely informed about what Medicare can offer you. We’ll take a look at a few famous changes in next month’s edition.

“Don’t miss out on the Medicare updates.”

You’ve probably heard messages like these on TV or seen them in newspapers and on postcards you’ve received in the mail. Clients often call me to ask about these so-called changes. But does Medicare really change that much, or are fast-talking salespeople just trying to trick you into calling them so they can sell you something? To understand changes to Medicare, you have to understand more about the program itself, which was enacted by Congress in 1965. The truth is that government-administered programs don’t usually happen overnight. And neither do changes to them.

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Testimonial

How to Host Thanksgiving on a Dime 5 Easy Ways to Make Your Holiday Celebration Affordable and Cozy We all know that the holidays aren’t just about food and decor — they’re about spending time with family and friends. But a beautifully decorated table topped with scrumptious dishes can also make our celebrations more jovial. How do we achieve the perfect ambiance when our budget is tight? Here are a few tips to do just that! No. 1: Make your own pies. It’s actually really inexpensive to make your own pie crust and filling. If you have flour, sugar, butter, and your favorite fruit, then you have the essential ingredients! Of course, you don’t want to wear yourself out — making cookies and/or pudding can make your family just as happy and fulfill that Thanksgiving sweet tooth. No. 2: Consider buying a large turkey. This might seem counterintuitive at first, but the larger the bird, the more inexpensive it tends to be by weight. Consider that your grocery store butcher can cut a 22-pound turkey in half, even if it’s frozen. You can use the extra half for slow cooker recipes in the upcoming months or even at Christmas if you wanted to! No. 3: Borrow decor and equipment. If you know someone with a roasting pan, why buy your own if your budget is tight? Or maybe someone has napkin rings you can borrow since you’ve never gotten around to buying any. Ask your friends, family, and neighbors if they have any decor or equipment you can borrow to make Thanksgiving a little easier and prettier. No. 4: Serve only a few key sides. The turkey, or whatever your protein of choice may be, is the foundational dish at the dinner table. Serving only a few key sides — comfort foods like mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, and cranberry sauce — might be all that you really need! Streamlining your side dishes will also make your cooking and cleanup process simpler. No. 5: If you’re having guests, invite them to bring salad or extra dessert items. Guests certainly brighten up a celebration, and if they bring something delicious along, it’ll make your job hosting easier. But in case a guest forgets to bring their dish, don’t assign any dishes that’ll be sorely missed.

“Chris took care of my mother’s Medicare plan. Now he is taking care of me.” –Fredericka M.

Zesty Orange Cranberry Sauce

Skip the can-shaped cranberry sauce this year and bring a jar of homemade sauce to Thanksgiving instead. This easy recipe can be made ahead of the big event and keeps for 10 days in the fridge.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup orange juice, freshly squeezed • 1/2 cup water • 3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp sugar • 12 oz fresh cranberries • 2 tsp orange zest • Salt to taste

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, heat the orange juice, water, and sugar to a boil. Add other ingredients, then bring mixture back to boiling. 2. Reduce the heat to medium and cook gently for 10–12 minutes, until the cranberries burst. 3. Transfer the sauce to a bowl or jar, cover, and refrigerate until serving.

We hope these tips help make your Thanksgiving a little more affordable and comfortable! Have fun!

Inspired by OnceUponAChef.com

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INSIDE This Issue How Our ‘Worst’ Year Gave Our Family the Best Thanksgiving Ever

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How Physical Therapy Can Help You Avoid Winter Falls

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How Often Does Medicare Change, Really?

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How to Host Thanksgiving on a Dime

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Zesty Orange Cranberry Sauce

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A Number of Importance

THE 11TH HOUR OF THE 11TH DAY OF THE 11TH MONTH

Why Veterans Day and the Number 11 Go Hand in Hand

Veterans Day comes every Nov. 11. It’s a national holiday that recognizes veterans who served in the United States Armed Forces and honors those both living and deceased. Historically, the day marks Armistice Day and the end of the Great War: World War I. But what is the significance of the number 11? The armistice was signed at 5:45 a.m. in France, but it took effect at 11 a.m. that same morning — which happened to be Nov. 11, 1918. The armistice originally lasted 36 days but was extended month after month. This led to the signing of the Treaty of Versailles on June 28, 1919, when peace was officially declared. Later that year, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed that Nov. 11 would be known as Armistice Day to honor those who fought in the Great

War. This lasted until 1954, when President Dwight Eisenhower signed a proclamation turning Armistice Day into Veterans Day. The change was made in order to recognize all veterans who had honorably served their country. By 1954, the U.S. had fought in more wars — specifically World War II and the Korean War — and hundreds of thousands more Americans had served.

Unsurprisingly, there was some political drama surrounding the day. In 1968, Congress made Veterans Day a federal holiday under the Uniform Holiday Bill. The idea was to increase the number of three-day weekends in the year. Veterans Day became a holiday that would fall on the fourth Monday of October, a far cry from Nov. 11. However, in 1978, Veterans Day was restored to its original Nov. 11 date. But why? The answer is simple. It’s a number that sticks with you. When the clock strikes 11:11, you always take notice. By that same notion, we all remember the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. Because of this, we’ll never forget the end of the Great War, nor will we forget those who served.

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