{"id":38549,"date":"2023-04-11T12:03:32","date_gmt":"2023-04-11T16:03:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/?p=38549"},"modified":"2023-04-11T12:03:32","modified_gmt":"2023-04-11T16:03:32","slug":"sean-finnegan-saves-customers-time-and-money-choosing-medicare-supplement-plan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2023\/04\/sean-finnegan-saves-customers-time-and-money-choosing-medicare-supplement-plan\/","title":{"rendered":"Sean Finnegan Saves Customers Time And Money Choosing Medicare Supplement Plan"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
Sean Finnegan once researched stocks and bonds for clients, but now his business helps find the best Medicare Advantage plans for people\u2019s needs as an independent Medicare broker.
\u00a92023 Saratoga Photographer.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

By Susan Elise Campbell<\/p>\n

Sean Finnegan once researched stocks and bonds for his clients, but now he is finding the best Medicare Advantage plans for their specific needs as an independent Medicare broker.<\/p>\n

Over the decade he was a financial advisor his clients often asked him questions about Medicare. He decided to look into how health insurance supplements worked.<\/p>\n

\u201cI literally thought: I can make a living helping people make this decision,\u201d he said. For three years he worked as an independent Medicare Advantage broker on the side of his financial advisory role. Then he gave up his securities licenses and founded Saratoga Medicare Group, LLC at 125 High Rock Ave. in Saratoga.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Then COVID happened.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was hard for me at first to help clients over the phone because I\u2019m a hands-on kind of guy,\u201d Finnegan said. \u201cThat is how I build my client\u2019s trust and how they know I am looking out for their best interests.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/b><\/span>Finnegan said the Center for Medicare Services made the role of an Independent Medicare Advantage Broker easier during the pandemic by improving on-line applications and making compliance more streamlined.\u00a0 <\/span>Finnegan \u201cwas happy to sit down and show people what\u2019s available and most cost effective for them\u201d as safety mandates lifted.<\/p>\n

As an independent, there is no advantage for Finnegan to enroll clients in one plan over another, he said. Medicare pays him the same fee regardless of the insurance company the client selects.<\/p>\n

\u201cI convey the information, but the client decides,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s an open enrollment period for Medicare recipients to join, switch or drop a plan. It runs from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7 each year and is effective the following calendar year.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Finnegan is busiest then, checking out the changes and costs associated with the various insurance carriers. But he said he is actively involved with new and existing clients all 12 months.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is not public knowledge, but there are ways to switch plans during the year,\u201d he said. \u201cMy client may have enrolled in a pharmaceutical assistance plan, or there may have been an event, such as moving or a change in their health condition, which enables them to make changes outside that window.\u201d<\/p>\n

Finnegan starts enrollment season investigating all available plans in New York, which are dominated by three or four major carriers, he said. He uses software that compares the features and costs of the plans, which he then shows side-by-side to the client.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen they are shown benefits on the monitor, sometimes they see one and say, \u2018I want that,\u2019\u201d he said. \u201cBut the puzzle pieces are matching a plan that covers both the client\u2019s prescriptions and their doctors.\u00a0 <\/span>If the plan does not completely cover both, we may have to do some triage and think outside the box.\u201d<\/p>\n

For example, perhaps one plan includes their physician but not all their medications. One option might be to pick the plan and look for a discount prescription app, such as Good Rx, or search for coupons, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt always ends up working out,\u201d said Finnegan. \u201cThe medication may even be available cheaper than it was under that plan.\u201d<\/p>\n

Finnegan said he stays proactive and in constant contact with clients. Oftentimes they\u2019ll call him after receiving a communication.<\/p>\n

\u201cI tell them, just read me a part of the letter or send me a picture of it,\u201d he said. \u201cUsually I can tell them to just throw it away, but sometimes it is resolved in a few minutes. Whatever you do, don\u2019t call their 800 number. About 90 percent don\u2019t have to make a call and for the other 10 percent, we can contact the company together.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That level of service helps him determine, based on their conversations and client feedback, which companies are doing a good job responding and which are poor at customer service, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll companies have to put their best foot forward,\u201d he said. \u201cIf they don\u2019t, we won\u2019t sign them up. This is a very competitive product. That means every year the features get a little better and the costs get a little lower.\u201d<\/p>\n

Open enrollment last year was seven weeks long. As plan changes were announced, Finnegan said he was able to look at all his client accounts to assess whether they were covered the best way, or if another plan would suit them better.<\/p>\n

\u201cI met with 120 clients in those seven weeks,\u201d he said. \u201cIf you sit down together and explain the benefits, the worst thing is that you might find the client is in the right place. Insurance companies pay me to help people, so why not get the best health insurance option for them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Finnegan gets new clients through referrals, search engine optimization on the web, and workshops or individual meetings with clients of financial advisors. The aging population on Medicare is growing and his office is expanding quickly. After three years in the business, he has \u201ca stack of resum\u00e9s\u201d on his desk to look over, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cMore people are turning 65 and need help, so I am willing to train agents once they are tested and licensed,\u201d he said. His hiring requirements are \u201chonest people who are willing to answer their phone.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI love this job and I work a lot, but it doesn\u2019t seem like it sometimes,\u201d he said. \u201cIf you go above and beyond for your clients, they will stick with you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Learn more at www.saratogamedicare.com.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Susan Elise Campbell Sean Finnegan once researched stocks and bonds for his clients, but now he is finding the best Medicare Advantage plans for their specific needs as an independent Medicare broker. Over the decade he was a financial advisor his clients often asked him questions about Medicare. He decided to look into how […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":89,"featured_media":38550,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-38549","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-insurance-medical-services"],"yoast_head":"\r\nSean Finnegan Saves Customers Time And Money Choosing Medicare Supplement Plan - Saratoga Business Journal<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2023\/04\/sean-finnegan-saves-customers-time-and-money-choosing-medicare-supplement-plan\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Sean Finnegan Saves Customers Time And Money Choosing Medicare Supplement Plan - Saratoga Business Journal\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By Susan Elise Campbell Sean Finnegan once researched stocks and bonds for his clients, but now he is finding the best Medicare Advantage plans for their specific needs as an independent Medicare broker. 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