Suzanne entered the Medicare business just over 10 years ago when a recruiter walked into the Farmer’s Agency where she worked and introduced Medicare as an easy (hah!) product to add to her P&C business.

She was new to P&C at the time (another a difficult business) and was willing to give Medicare a try. She quickly developed skill in demystifying Medicare and anticipating her clients’ extra needs, and she found great satisfaction helping people navigate their most significant healthcare decisions. In her own words, Medicare actually was easy to pick up.

A community advocate

Through her work, Suzanne became a trusted face to both her clients and her broader community. She became a regular, friendly presence at the food pantries, pharmacies, doctor’s offices, and more — always there to serve, not sell. She’d help with not just Medicare, but completing Medicaid applications, enrolling in extra assistance programs, and more. She became a real advocate for the most marginalized populations, and in the process she built a meaningful book of business.

Partnerships with providers became major contributors to Suzanne’s business. Just like how she approached her clients, Suzanne preferred a deeply personal approach to working with providers. Instead of targeting just everyone, she built meaningful relationships with a small handful of trusted providers. Because of regulations, providers can’t speak to their patients about specific Medicare plans (Suzanne’s advice to providers: avoid the “M word” altogether!), and, frankly, most providers aren’t knowledgeable about Medicare plan options for their patients, let alone all the fine details — and that is where Suzanne’s expertise kicks in.

Providers themselves often call Suzanne with Medicare questions, and they’ll refer their patients who need Medicare help to Suzanne as well, knowing that she’ll take good care of patients and ensure their Medicare benefits work well with their current clinical care. In return, Suzanne treats each provider and their clients as real VIPs with extra care and attention.

Overnight success, a decade in the making

Suzanne’s story shows that finding success in Medicare is simple, but not easy. She’s a real Medicare expert, a skillful communicator, and a kind, caring, and empathetic source of support for her clients — with a deep reservoir of trust built over time. Within the community, her most fruitful relationships were cultivated over years, showing that there is no get rich quick scheme, no shortcut to building trust. However, once trust is built, the agent and community institutions can work together for clients in a way that neither group could do alone.

At Spark, we are excited and honored to build upon the trust Suzanne has already established with her clients and communities to deliver an even greater level of care and service. Our mission is to help local, independent agents like Suzanne thrive while supporting new agents in building similar places for themselves in their communities. We’re proud to have a great partner in Suzanne!