We are at the end of the final day of the open enrollment period for Medicare 2024 and we have been getting up to 100 calls a day wanting to tell us about all the new benefits that we may qualify for in 2024. At first it was humorous and I would play along with the caller. I knew all about the Medicare Advantage plans, the grocery card, cash back each month for certain people and the additional benefits for dental, eye glasses and other health related items.
But the truth is that we don’t qualify for many of these benefits for low income folks (nor should we) and we also have already renewed our Medicare insurance supplements for next year. To be sure, today ends the open enrollment period and we must have had more than 1000 calls since the renewal period began – either on our home phone or our mobile numbers.
This is not unlike the calls we used to get for home warranties or extended warranties for our automobiles. At some point, it gets monotonous and I tend to loss my patience a little. Janet hates it when we are bothered time and again by the telephone solicitors, even more so since we are on every no-call list out there. Today set a new record for the invasive calls that we received. Of course, these companies are desperate as open enrollment ends tonight.
Not answering the phone doesn’t seem to be a deterrent. And blocking calls doesn’t seem to be effective, either. They have banks of hundreds of numbers and we never hear from the same number twice.
As time has gone on, I have made something of a game about the whole thing. I try to make sure that I tell the truth but cause them to lose interest in continuing the conversation with me. I also refuse to give up my right to be on the no-call list and that always gets them to drop the call. But by this time, I have wasted several minutes on the phone.
I eventually figured out that the best way to end the call was right in the beginning. Invariably, I get asked right out of the gate how I am doing. I have started to answer the caller by saying, “I feel great! I’m going to live forever.” This usually elicits a smirk or snide comment on the other end of the line, yet sometimes the caller just hangs up. More than several times, I have been sworn at or have been the recipient of vulgar comments, some of them referencing my mother… More times than not, the person on the other end of the line thinks I am joking – I’m not!
The truth of the matter is that I have completely told the truth! As a believer in Jesus as Lord and Savior, my eternal life began the moment that I professed my belief in Jesus and accepted the gift of eternal life. Many people don’t realize that you don’t have to physically die in order to start your eternal life. You are already living it if you are a believer in Jesus! And you will, indeed, live forever! Hallelujah!
Our verse for tonight comes from the apostle John in his first epistle. John tells us about eternal life in this epistle. He tells his readers, and us, in 1 John 5:11-12, “And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.”
My encouragement this evening is Jesus came that we might have eternal life – by the simple acceptance of His offer to us. My prayer is that we will enjoy eternity together in heaven and that after this Medicare renewal season ends tonight, we can get on with more important things! Have a great day in the Lord, grace and peace…