Wisconsin—Jeffrey McRoberts looked forward to a long, happy life. After all, one of his father’s brothers lived to be 100. His mother’s sisters also are still alive.
So, “out in the middle of nowhere” in Wisconsin, as he described it, the 56-year-old business consultant was content. In fact, he was due for a promotion and a subsequent move to another part of the country.
“That all got shot down,” he said, when he suffered a hemorrhagic stroke in January 2007. “I spent 36 hours in a coma. They didn’t think I was going to make it.”
He survived, but his career prospects were shattered. From seemingly good health, he found himself receiving short- and then long-term disability coverage from his company. It soon became obvious that his disability was permanent. “My prognosis was not good,” Mr. McRoberts said. “Fortunately, my company referred me to Allsup for help in securing Social Security
Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits.”
Allsup is the nation’s leading SSDI representation company. CEO and founder Jim Allsup started his company in 1984, after working for the Social Security Administration (SSA), to help people just like Jeffrey McRoberts collect SSDI benefits that he had paid for with FICA taxes throughout his working life.
Entering its 25th year in business, Allsup has identified its core values as True Helping, Fairness, Driven and Expert. In varying ways, Allsup professionals apply these values to every customer who asks for their help.
Without having to go to an SSA office or attend a hearing, Mr. McRoberts was approved for SSDI in January 2008, almost a year to the day after his stroke. He was so pleased with Allsup’s professional work that he readily referred friends who also needed disability benefits.
With his
SSDI benefits in hand, Mr. McRoberts needed to look for Medicare coverage. He knew the process would be daunting when he saw that in his county alone there were 21 plans to pick from. “If I wanted to spend the time, I could have read through each plan,” he said, “but what’s your time worth?”
Ironically, one of his friends whom he referred to Allsup for SSDI help recommended a company to help Mr. McRoberts sort through
Medicare plans: Allsup. Adding the
Allsup Medicare Advisor® to its core services, Allsup experts work with clients to sort through a maze of available options so clients can select the Medicare plan most suited to their needs.
For Mr. McRoberts, the Allsup Medicare Advisor was the perfect service to help him make an informed decision.
“Many people wait a long time to qualify for Medicare benefits, and then they find out they can’t afford them,” said Jennifer Arnold, one of Allsup’s Medicare experts. She helped pioneer Allsup Medicare Advisor, which provides an objective, custom-designed evaluation to help people with disabilities select the Medicare option that best fits their needs.
Thousands of Medicare plans nationally and dozens locally are available in most areas. The first step in the Allsup Medicare Advisor process is an in-depth conversation between the client and an experienced Allsup specialist. The goal is to identify the client’s needs. The Allsup representative collects information such as the client’s location, health history, prescriptions, medical provider preferences and financial situation.
“Mr. McRoberts was a different type of client,” Ms. Arnold said. “He has business acumen, and he could see that we provide a valuable service.”
The client and Allsup also had a head start. “They already had my medical records from my disability applications,” he said. “They told me right up front about all the options. Then they narrowed the 21 plans down to the top three. They described those three in detail, side by side, to compare features and costs. I read through everything.”
The Allsup Medicare Advisor service is an example of the company’s core value of True Helping, according to the Allsup CEO. “Our company acts on behalf of individuals in such a way that it truly makes a difference in their lives,” Mr. Allsup said. “The first thought that comes to mind when reading this statement is: ‘Of course, this is what we do at Allsup.’”
Mr. McRoberts, with his business experience, was especially impressed with how Medicare plans were compiled for his area and then pared down and compared in a concise report.
“I liked the report the best,” he said. “It was so well organized and informative. The comparison page was my favorite part. I liked the presentation of the materials. It was easy to follow and easy to read. I could digest it quickly and make my decision.”
Unlike the lengthy
SSDI application process, the
Allsup Medicare Advisor route was short and quick. Two weeks from his initial call to Allsup about Medicare assistance, Mr. McRoberts had received the top three plans, made his choice, and received a confirmation letter from the insurer. He expected to receive his Medicare card a week later, well in advance of the July activation.
For the second time, Mr. McRoberts could count himself among satisfied Allsup customers.
“This is an excellent service because they take care of the work,” he said. “They took my situation into consideration and made it very easy for me to decide on a plan. I was so relieved to know that an expert was working for me.”
“Allsup does a good job communicating with people,” he added. “The high level of customer service I received was top notch.”