BIP Winter 2024

“The Middle Man ”

Medicare plans. By integrating Original Medicare Part A and Part B benefits into an inclusive Medicare group plan, there’s savings potential for all involved. Delivering savings A common scenario for Walker Hite is to identify an employer with Medicare-eligible members and then share how everyone could benefit from a switch. For instance, say a group of 19 or under has plan participants paying over $1,000 a month in Affordable Care Act small group premium. In that instance, Walker-Hite will present several more beneficial Medicare alternatives. “Not only are they less expensive for the member and the employer, but the plan is generally richer than what’s available to the beneficiary on the commercial ACA side,” she says. “We’re talking about reducing health insurance premium down to $0 to $300 a month with a Medicare group plan option,” Walker-Hite adds. Ultimately, Walker-Hite loves what she does. “I love helping people solve problems,” she says. education-first approach when working with clients. “ ” I was raised by educators. While I’m not a teacher, I have that

S Sara Walker-Hite, owner & principal agent at Silver Wolf

Insurance Services LLC in Savoy, Illinois, spent 18 years as a re gional carrier account executive, educating brokers on employer group and Medicare plans. She eventually became a Medicare Group employer group waiver plans (EGWPs) specialist. Now, running her own independent agency, Walker Hite bridges the gap for clients, using her expertise to navigate health insurance options and deliver tailored solutions for employers and individuals. Navigating the employer + Medicare mix As a Medicare subject-matter expert, Walker-Hite trained teams on Medicare employer group solutions. She loved the product and the culture enough to want to sell from the other side of the fence as an independent agent. “There are a lot of benefits to having that diverse background across a variety of products,” she says. “I’ve seen how clients in our community are affected and enjoy troubleshooting with them.” The beautiful thing about working with Medicare Group, Walker-Hite adds, is the potential to save all stakeholders a lot of money — the employer, the member and potentially the insurance company. “When a member is Medicare primary

Sara Walker-Hite creates compelling Medicare coverage

TIP: Know your Medicare primary vs secondary payer rules. The key for a successful Medicare employer group set up is to ensure all Medicare eligible members are primary with Medicare Part A and Part B.

with Part A and Part B, and an employer offers at least one Medicare group plan to their Medicare primary eligible members, it creates an opportunity,” she says. “That Medicare-eligible member can say, ‘OK, I’m enrolled in A and B, I’m Medicare primary, but I still want to take advantage of employer perks such as paying for my insurance premium.’” Employer groups can provide continued support for retirees and/or Medicare primary eligible employees who transition to Medicare as their primary coverage through group

52 bip magazine Winter 2024