Never mind that he was a certified public accountant, the mass of Medicare options just didn’t compute.Selecting a
Medicare plan is so complicated that even a certified public accountant (CPA) can’t do it.
An exaggeration? Maybe, unless you happen to be CPA Doug Foth. At first glance, he found choosing the right coverage daunting if not impossible.
The 68-year-old Grandview resident made a career of evaluating and advising complex tax and accounting issues for clients. “I used to be kind of sharp with this stuff,” he said, “but I can’t sort through things like I used to.”
Self-deprecation aside, anyone might feel intimidated when shopping for coverage with the correct fit. Thousands of Medicare plans nationally and dozens locally are available in most areas. Comparing and contrasting the varied options can be difficult at best, even to a keen CPA.
“The Medicare Web site is just humongous,” Mr. Foth said. “It just goes on forever.”
On his own, he speculated, “I would have been frustrated. A pharmacist is usually a pretty good source of information. Maybe I would’ve talked with my doctor. I don’t know what I could have done.”
Fortunately, Mr. Foth had time on his side. Under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985, also known as COBRA, his employee group health plan coverage would not end until June 30, 2009. In November 2008, he thought he had a head start on selecting a Medicare plan. His hopes were almost dashed as he scrolled through the bewildering options, and then he saw an advertisement for Allsup.
A nationwide company with headquarters in Belleville, Ill., Allsup blazed a trail 25 years ago, establishing itself as the nation’s leading Social Security
Disability Insurance (SSDI) representation company. CEO and founder Jim Allsup started his company in 1984, after working for the Social Security Administration.
Since then, Allsup has secured disability benefits for more than 120,000 deserving clients and obtained about $10.3 billion in
SSDI and Medicare benefits.
The company has now added Allsup Medicare AdvisorSM to its repertoire of services. Allsup experts work with clients to sort through a maze of options as they select the Medicare plan most suited to their needs.
Doug Foth, enmeshed in Washington’s Medicare maze, picked up the phone and called Allsup in December 2008. “I talked with Jennifer Arnold,” he said. “What a fabulous lady. She was so much help.”
Ms. Arnold is one of Allsup’s core group of Medicare experts. She helped pioneer Allsup Medicare Adviser, which provides an objective, custom-designed evaluation to help people select the Medicare option that best fits their needs.
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.
A person’s experience, Ms. Arnold explained, does not guarantee one can wade through the Medicare selection process and pick a plan that suits his needs. In the past, Allsup has helped people with business and medical backgrounds who were equally as stumped as this CPA.
“Mr. Foth,” she said, “saw right away that we provide a valuable service.”
Ms. Arnold and Mr. Foth quickly developed a trusting relationship.
“She was very professional and very thorough,” Mr. Foth said. “She knows her business, and if she doesn’t know an answer, she’ll tell you. Then she’ll find the answer. We talked with the Medicare people on conference calls a few times, and she handled herself extremely well.”
CEO Jim Allsup described Ms. Arnold as a typical Allsup team member. “We continually strive to identify opportunities to expand our expertise—hiring and retaining the best people and building intelligent systems and processes to do what we do best,” he said.
After consulting with Medicare and Mr. Foth, Ms. Arnold compiled all the plans available in Grandview and then narrowed them down to what she believed were the top three offerings that would meet Mr. Foth’s needs. Then she mailed the entire package to him to review and make his selection.
“Jennifer showed each plan with its pluses and minuses,” he said. “She also indicated which of the top three plans appeared to best fit my needs. I agreed, and that was the plan I selected.”
Mr. Foth made his choice in May 2009, enough time for his coverage to begin July 1. He said he is ready, relieved and satisfied with Allsup Medicare Advisor and, especially, Jennifer Arnold’s help.
“Allsup was just a lifesaver,” he said. “I’d vote for Jennifer for president. I was so pleased. I was dreading this whole [Medicare selection] process, but it worked out very, very well. Jennifer made it very easy for me, and I’m grateful for that.”