Welsh Insurance Services
Ensuring a Smooth Transition into Medicare

Health insurance brokers play a key role as intermediaries between customers and insurance providers, offering clients expert advice, access to policy details, and a range of personalized recommendations. When it comes to considering and selecting a Medicare plan, customers often seek the expertise of a local, licensed broker who can compare different options and find the right coverage at a price that fits their budget.

Welsh Insurance Services, led by award-winning independent insurance brokers Scott and Sarah Welsh, helps clients approaching retirement in evaluating all their insurance options so that they can seamlessly transition into Medicare.

In an interview with the editorial team of Manage HR, Scott Welsh, coowner of Welsh Insurance Services, discusses how he and his wife, Sarah, help senior employees and retirees navigate the complexity of enrolling in Medicare while taking into consideration the client’s preferred medical providers, prescription drugs, and budget.

Providing Services that Make a Difference

Sarah and I are both state-licensed insurance brokers with deep-rooted knowledge of Medicare basics, plans, and coverages. We specialize in health care plans available specifically in Southern California, and we are contracted with most of the insurance carriers in the region. Each of us has received Platinum Provider Status with UnitedHealthCare, and we are ranked in the top 0.5 percent of all agents that work with UnitedHealthcare across the country.

A unique factor about us is that we work directly with HR managers, benefits directors, and risk managers to help employees and retirees find a path for a seamless transition into Medicare at absolutely no cost to the employer or employee. This transition could save a company thousands of dollars a year per employee. We act as a completely neutral and trusted advisor.

We work with numerous school districts, counties, and large employer groups to help their HR professionals understand an individual’s responsibility at retirement with respect to Medicare. Companies rarely offer insurance past active employment, but if they do, we help those employees enroll in Medicare parts A and B.

We are a trustworthy local go-to resource to help employees get to the next level. It can be very challenging and daunting for an employee to retire as they have to consider their financial interest and opt for the right health insurance plan. This is where we come in to help.

A detail I’d like to bring to note is that we never charge for our services. We are a no-cost advisory and are paid for by the health plans. At the beginning of an engagement, we provide a free, one-hour consultation during which Medicare plans are reviewed. We then process and submit the enrollment application and act as liaisons between the client and the plan, troubleshooting referrals, answering questions, and alerting them whenever there are any changes to their plans.

We distinguish ourselves from our competition by being able to build strong connections with benefits directors and human resource leaders on a local level. Some of the larger companies work with out-of-town brokers who are unaware of what happens at a local level with the employees. This may be beneficial while the employees are actively employed, but when they retire and are Medicare eligible, it’s essential to have a thorough understanding of who their doctors are, what plans are accepted by the doctors, help them understand when to enroll, and what they need to do, step-by-step.

We listen to the clients and understand who their doctors are, what medical groups, hospitals, and providers they want to consult and gather their medication regimens. We have a consultation with the clients to truly understand what works for them and their desires as they proceed into Medicare. Once we have a clear idea, we match them to the most suitable Medicare plan.

Ensuring Continuity in Care

Recently, we worked with a client who was retiring abruptly and had not enrolled in Medicare. We were able to assess their needs and the doctors they wanted to consult while helping them enroll directly through the Social Security Administration.

We faxed the client’s papers to the local security office to ensure the forms were accurate and prevent any issues. We were able to perform this procedure within two weeks of the client’s previous insurance expiring and help them preserve their connectivity to local providers.

This client had ongoing medical issues and needed to be sure they received continuous care. We were able to provide them access to Medicare parts A and B almost immediately and make sure they had steady access to all the providers they had been seeing. The client was pleased and left with the understanding that they have everything they need to take care of their health post-retirement.

Working Together as Life Partners and Business Partners

Sarah started working as an independent agent broker in 2009 and quickly established herself in the industry. I worked in the media industry for 25 years and joined Sarah in 2013. When transitioning into the insurance industry, I looked up to her as a mentor and a guide. We are an excellent team; she is very strategic and has a comprehensive knowledge of Medicare policies and billing, while I’ve spent a large part of my career educating people.

We’re lucky and blessed to have found this work-life balance that allows us to enhance our skills and work toward a common goal. Many people get into this business and try their hands at a variety of things, but Medicare is all that we do. Working with ten different companies today is a recognition of our hard work over the past 12 years.

Contact:
Scott and Sarah Welsh at Welsh Insurance Services
ph: 909-307-5900
Website: www.welshadvantage.com