|
For some reason, weather is always how I want to start these newsletters. That’s hot. Agenda
The GLP-1 Series & Words of Wisdom This month marked the beginning of the GLP-1 Bridge program where those who qualify can get GLP-1 medications for a $50 copay. Here is a video on the Bridge and BALANCE Model Programs and they work: Here is a video on the cost impacts to the system for the Bridge & BALANCE Models: The newest video in this series – that hasn’t been released to the public yet, but is available to you right now… was a super cool experience for me. Words of Wisdom Mixed In Here Sometimes… the stories are goofy. It’s always the last section, but in this special edition, we’re going to work it in right here, and we’ll see where this one takes us. My Switch to the Dark Side During college, I had the opportunity to shadow several physicians of different specialties – one of those being Dr. Nicholas Paulk. At the time, he was doing general surgeries and he was kind enough to let me shadow him multiple times and for several procedures. I was left to take the MCAT and apply for Medical School before life took me a different route – pursuing some startups that led to me working at a health insurance company – which led me to a Medicare agency – which led us all here 🙂 In other words, Dr. Nick and several other doctor friends let me know that I’d “gone to the dark side” of insurance. You Need to Get to Know Dr. Nick. But our story goes back further than shadowing him. For my whole life, my dad was a basketball coach. Nick… was one of those guys. And Nick was 7-year-old Erik’s hero. Teammates. Students. Teachers. Everyone. During practices, my dad would have the team run ladders or lines for various things. Let’s Tie This Together Dr. Nick is now a leading physician in our state. When the GLP-1 programs started rolling out, I asked him if he’d be willing to let me interview him about Obesity. He agreed, and we have this video here: As I am writing this, the video is not public – meaning you get the first look at this one. If you or someone you know is struggling with obesity, I think this is a must-watch. It will go live to the world here in a couple days. The Words of Wisdom Part Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d be: That’s pretty cool. Book Recommendation |
|
|
|
|
The Psychology of Money, Morgan Housel This is the 30th edition of The Retirement Nerds newsletter. For those that knew me previous to the Retirement Nerds, it may have made an appearance but I don’t have access to those records anymore. This book is an absolute must for anyone who wants to get a grasp around their finances, the goals they hope to accomplish with those finances, and the psychology around how we humans treat money. I love, love this book. Morgan writes and explains things like how normal people speak and think rather than trying to overwhelm you with complex jargon and show off his intellectual prowess. Anyone who reads this will learn something. Side note… read is a weird word. Words of Wisdom – Goofy Dogs We already had the Words of Wisdom, so for the dog lovers out there, I’m just going to give you some pictures and silly videos of our furry friends who seem to run our house. This… is Ruby.
|
|
|
|
|
Ruby started out as an absolute menace. When she was little, we had a different dog – Petie – who was a small, old sheltie. She terrorized him and with her bigger size and youthful energy, Petie always looked like he was annoyed with her. Here are those two together: Can we all take a minute to awe at how much fur used to come out of Petie the Sheltie? |
|
|
|
|
Can we all take a minute to awe at how much fur used to come out of Petie the Sheltie? Well, Petie passed away a few years ago, and there was a noticeable change in Ruby. Since Ruby was so sad after Petie died, we got her a friend. His name… is Jet He also goes by: |
|
|
|
|
Jet is a corgi. Jet… is a lunatic. Have you ever seen those Sour Patch Kids commercials where the gummies are causing chaos and then they go hug the kids whose party they just destroyed? “First they’re sour… then they’re sweet.” That’s Jet. His eyes bore into your soul when he stares at you. Lounging around watching TV? Let him outside? Playing fetch? With a toy he brought you to play fetch with… He’s a goofball, and even though he is smaller than Ruby, he is younger and bullies her like she used to bully Petie. The circle of life. No Real Point Here I was just appreciating these two puppies in my life and figured I’d share them with you. One of the things I’ve learned from these two is that no matter how I’m feeling – good days, bad days, or anything in between – every time I walk in the door, these two rush up to me. Ruby’s tail is whipping around and hitting Jet in the face. Wouldn’t it be weird if we humans did that whenever we saw friends. Our bums all start shaking uncontrollably? Less with bum shakes and licking. I Leave You With Two Videos Here are two videos of the typical interactions I have with these goofy dogs. I hope you enjoy them. |
|
|
Thank You I hope you have a wonderful month, and I’ll see you in the next newsletter. Erik |
