Selecting a Medicare plan is a big decision. For Minnesotans approaching age 65 or older, talking to a Medicare Advisor can help determine the best plan to fit their needs.

For Minnesotans who live outside the Twin Cities metro area, that’s where Blue Cross Outstate Medicare Advisors come in.

Working independently and traveling to different locations to meet with potential and existing members, Outstate Medicare Advisors hold educational workshops, provide personalized consultations, and help Minnesotans across the state enroll in the plan that best suits their needs and preferences.

On the road in Northeastern Minnesota

“Depending on how far I have to go, I’m usually out of the house and on the road by 6:30 -7 a.m. and I’m not done with my day until 8:30 or 9 p.m.,” says Blue Cross Medicare Advisor Tammy Rae Kausch. Tammy Rae lives in Duluth, Minnesota and covers the northeastern territory, which includes Sandstone, Mora, Pine City, Aitkin, Mountain Iron and more.

In a typical day, she will travel to a location about two hours away from Duluth to host group Medicare workshops, meet with existing or potential customers one on one in a location of their choosing, and visit local businesses to check in and let them know her resources are available.

“I meet people in coffee shops, at the local library, in restaurants, many people invite me into their homes,” Tammy Rae says.

For Tammy Rae, every invitation to meet with someone is an honor.

“I’m honest with them, I take my time, I want them to see exactly what they’re getting,” she said. “I treat them the same way I would want my mother or grandmother to be treated when making this decision.”

Tammy Rae can host workshops any way existing or potential members prefer, including via Zoom, but she said it’s important to be able to meet people face to face in her territory.

“This is an important decision. Sometimes the cell phone service or the internet connection might not be great. Sometimes people want to see the information laid out in front of them and have someone to bounce questions off of. It’s just helpful to be able to sit down with people and really talk things through.”

On the road in Northwest Minnesota

“I put a lot of miles on my Honda Civic,” said Brendan Flynn, Medicare Advisor in Northwest Minnesota.

From his home base in Brainerd, Minnesota Brendan covers a seventeen-county territory as far north as International Falls and as far west as East Grand Forks.

“It’s a lot of driving, but we want these communities to know that Blue Cross takes care of all Minnesotans, not just those who live in the metro area,” Brendan says. “Sometimes for medical reasons people can’t leave their homes, so I’ll go directly to them. We just meet people where they are.”

For Brendan, it’s important to spend time in his territory. “I attend community events to let people know I’m here and they can talk to me. If they need help pulling events together, I can pitch in and in certain cases, even help sponsor some of those because as a non-profit health plan giving back is part of our DNA.”

While Medicare is Brendan’s usual topic of conversation, once information is shared and decisions are made, he said it’s common for discussions to veer into grandkids, pets and weekend plans.

“It’s important for people to have a real conversation and to be able to put a face to a name,” he said. “They want to know they have a point of contact if they have questions or need additional resources and I’m happy to be there for them.”

On the road in Southwest Minnesota

In the southwest corner of the state, John Derbis spends time in Worthington, Marshall, Alexandria, Hutchinson, New Ulm and Fergus Falls.

John says for many people approaching age 65 in his territory, his workshops are their first introduction to the “nuts and bolts” and “dollars and cents” of Medicare.

“They’re not coming to the workshops with a lot of prior knowledge because they haven’t had to think about it before,” John said. “There are a lot of nuances to the material, so the ability for people to digest that information and immediately ask questions to a real person is so valuable.”

John said he is often invited into homes for one on one conversations about Medicare.

“It’s such a privilege,” John explained. “Many times they’ll make me lunch and they will even pack something for my drive home. I’m helping them navigate what can feel like a complex process at times and they show their appreciation for that. There’s a mutual respect there and it’s one of the things I love most about what I do.”

John recently helped sponsor two events in New Ulm, including the Community Collage Project and Spikin' in the Street events. “There are so many great people and great things happening in Southwest Minnesota. I’m proud to be able to represent Blue Cross in these communities.”