Medicare advisor aims ‘to cut all the clutter’

Editor's note: The following article is part of a series on what Medicare clients are asking their advisors prior to the open enrollment period.

Marie Goldbeck-Strunk said her biggest job as a Medicare advisor is “to cut all the clutter for clients and give them what they actually need to know.”

Goldbeck-Strunk is CEO of Group Benefit Solutions in Clinton, Iowa, and has been in business since 2013.

She told InsuranceNewsNet that her Medicare clients “hate all the mailings” they receive every year prior to open enrollment.

“They’re bombarded every day with phone calls, mailings, and it’s very confusing for them because they get a lot of misinformation,” she said. “We try to cut all the clutter for our clients and give them what they need to know so they keep up to date with everything, right along with us.”

That avalanche of direct mail gives Goldbeck-Strunk a unique opportunity to help her clients.

“We tell our clients, ‘Bring in all your mail if you like.’ We have a shred box. We pay for shredding. So our clients come in with a stack of mail and we help them sort through it.”

Goldbeck-Strunk said some of her clients are worried about news reports they hear of Medicare’s possible insolvency.

“I’ve told them that the latest Medicare trustees report said the Medicare Trust Fund will last longer than originally thought,” she said.

In addition, she said, her clients are concerned about whether their doctors and hospitals will remain in-network with their plan. “There have been a lot of mergers and acquisitions with hospitals and doctors’ offices in our area, so that has been a big question for our clients.”

Clients also are seeking advice about the best Medicare drug plans to fit their needs, as well as expressing concerns about their prescription drug costs, she said.

Medicare choices can be confusing and making the wrong choice can cost a client money, so Goldbeck-Strunk advised anyone seeking Medicare coverage to talk to a licensed agent.

“Clients can go on medicare.gov and try to maneuver it themselves, but this is also where I see clients doing it wrong,” she said. “My advice to people is always use a broker, because it doesn't cost you any extra money, and it may end up saving you a whole lot of money.”

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Susan Rupe is editor in chief, magazine, for InsuranceNewsNet. She formerly served as communications director for an insurance agents' association and was an award-winning newspaper reporter and editor. Contact her at susan.rupe@innfeedback.com.