Adding Medicare to your practice can do more than bring in new revenue. It can keep clients with you for life. Joe Cornell has spent 28 years in insurance, 18 of them on the carrier side at Highmark and the last decade with New York Life. He and his wife Michelle, his new administrative partner, tell Matt Gaus how Medicare grew to nearly 25% of his business.
From 18 Years at Highmark to Financial Services
Joe knows insurance from the inside. He spent 18 years on the carrier side at Highmark before moving into financial services, where he has spent the past decade with New York Life building a retirement planning practice. That carrier experience taught him how plans work behind the scenes, and it made him a better guide for clients when he moved to the advisor side of the table.
Why Adding Medicare Strengthened Client Retention
Joe’s retirement planning clients kept reaching the same milestone: turning 65 and facing Medicare. Rather than send them elsewhere, he added Medicare through National Insurance Markets. What started as a way to serve clients through retirement has grown into nearly 25% of his business. Just as important, it keeps clients with him longer. As Joe puts it, “If you’re truly in this to serve your clients, adding Medicare is just another avenue to help them.”
Getting Past Hesitation About Brokerage Partnerships
Joe admits he was hesitant about partnering with a brokerage at first. What changed his mind was the service. Strong backend support meant he wasn’t handling every enrollment issue and carrier question alone. He tells Matt that service is often the real difference between partners, and it’s the reason he stayed.
Hiring an Admin to Unlock Production Growth
As the book grew, backend work started eating into Joe’s time with clients. The answer was bringing on an admin: his wife, Michelle, who joined the business after 27 years in federal service. Michelle explains how organization and a solid backend structure let Joe focus on revenue-generating work. For any producer buried in paperwork, their story makes the case for hiring help sooner rather than later.
Using Technology to Streamline Medicare Enrollments
New tools can feel uncomfortable at first, and Joe says so. But adopting enrollment technology like Connector has made his process faster and easier to scale. Less time on applications means more time with clients, and fewer errors along the way.
Building a Succession Plan for an 800+ Client Book
With more than 800 clients, Joe is already thinking about what happens to his book long before he retires. He and Matt talk about why succession planning should start early, so clients stay well served and the value Joe has built is protected. It’s never too early to plan, and as Joe’s own story shows, it’s never too late to expand your practice.
Key Takeaways for Advisors and Agents
- Adding Medicare can boost client retention and lifetime value.
- You don’t need a healthcare background to start, but support matters.
- Admin help frees producers to focus on revenue-generating work.
- New technology feels uncomfortable at first, then pays off in efficiency.
- Service is often the real difference when choosing a partner.
- Start succession planning long before retirement.
- It’s never too late to expand your practice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need a healthcare background to sell Medicare?
No. Many successful Medicare agents come from financial services, P&C, or entirely different careers. You need a state health insurance license, the annual AHIP certification, and carrier training and appointments. Strong FMO support helps you learn the products and handle enrollments.
When should an insurance agent hire an admin?
A common sign is when service and paperwork start crowding out time with clients and prospects. If you’re turning down appointments or falling behind on follow-ups, an admin can take over enrollment support, scheduling, and client service so you can focus on production.
How does adding Medicare help client retention?
Medicare needs come up every year, through plan changes, drug coverage reviews, and life events. Helping with Medicare keeps you in regular contact with retirement clients and makes you their go-to advisor, so they’re less likely to move their other business elsewhere.
Listen to Episode 5 of The Agent Spotlight Podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
For more information, get in touch with NIM Broker.
