BIP Winter 2024

NABIP Engagement

Scott Christie joins NABIP to advocate for brokers

Scott Christie, regional sales director for The Brokerage, Inc., is passionate about helping clients navigate Medicare. Now, as a new NABIP member, Christie is eager to advocate for brokers. How did you get into the industry? My dad has been in the industry for 50+ years. I grew up in it. I wanted to be a marine biologist. I swore I would never be in this business. And yet here we are. I’ve been doing this for 30+ years. Six or seven years ago, I was tapped to start a Medicare distribution channel for an FMO here in Cincinnati. Mike Smith from The Brokerage trained me with fire and enthusiasm. Working with The Brokerage, I flourished. I realized I love Medicare. People just want to understand the product and have freedom of choice. I enjoyed sitting down with them and clearing up all the clutter and confusion. At the end of those meetings, you could see the relief, and they were just so happy to have found somebody they could trust. I recently joined The Brokerage. So we’ve come full circle. Why did you join NABIP? I realized that, with all the craziness that’s been going on with CMS, all the carrier shifting, the plans shifting, et cetera, we have to get more Where in the World is NABIP?

our local chapter is. I get to go to CapCon for the first time. I’m excited about that and to meet my state representatives. Just being a part of that and seeing the outcome and making sure that people on Capitol Hill are actually listening to us. Part of the frustration for me is they lump us in with bad apples who are doing the wrong things for their clients. And that’s not independent brokerages. So I want to make sure that our voices are heard and that they understand the value that we bring to the table, as well as all of the sifting and sorting through all the plans to ensure we find the right plan for our customers. And so, at the end of my first year, if I felt like my voice was heard and that we’ve got a good, active local chapter and the CapCon experience is great, I can’t see why I wouldn’t sign up again and tell others to do the same.

involved. I see people like Mike Smith, Amanda Brewton, who get knee-deep and want to ensure that our voices are heard. I realized I needed to be a part of it because I want to ensure that our industry isn’t changed so that we can’t succeed and help our clients. That’s what motivated me to join the Cincinnati chapter. What will make you renew your membership? I’m anxious to see how active

Rosalind M. Gibson, owner of Healthcare With Roz, poses with bip in her new Lenexa, Kansas, office, with “Dolly” the doe looking on. “NABIP gives me hope for a brighter future in healthcare and for professionals in the business,” says Gibson, a member since 2021 and Kansas City chapter board member. “The role NABIP plays is integral to advancing the voice of our clients (the beneficiaries) and getting our elected officials to understand how important healthcare is to the average citizen and why rising costs affect us all.”

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48 bip magazine Winter 2024