KMB Insurance Services: Western PA’s Medicare Specialists

By Kevin Brown

Ken Brandy, founder and CEO of KMB Insurance Services, has been offering insurance services for 25 years. With offices in Imperial, he serves the tri-state area of Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia.

“I started in the health insurance business in 2002 by offering individual health insurance for the self-employed. After a year or two, I began offering Medicare. My main focus for the last 20-plus years has been Medicare and health insurance for individuals who are under age 65,” Ken says.

KMB Insurance Services is truly a family business. Ken’s son, Zach, and his wife, Valerie, have joined him in the business. Like his father, Zach is an insurance broker and Medicare specialist. Valerie is the firm’s part-time administrative assistant.

As an independent insurance brokerage, KMB offers all the major Medicare and insurance carriers in this market including Highmark, UPMC, Aetna, United Healthcare, and HealthSpring, formerly Cigna. “We are a one-stop shop,” Ken says. “Our clients do not have to shop around on their own.”

Navigating the various Medicare and insurance plans on your own and choosing the right one can be daunting. KMB does all the work for you. 

“Our job is to give our clients enough information so they can make a more informed decision,” Ken explains. “We discuss the whole landscape of Medicare. We show them what the Medicare plans are and their options, whether it's Original Medicare with a Medigap or Medicare Supplemental plan, or a Medicare Advantage plan.”

“The first thing we do is educate them on Medicare itself: how it works, the structure, and options. We talk about their needs and what they're looking for, and we fit them into one of those categories, whether an Advantage plan works for them or Original Medicare with a Supplemental plan, and we give them the pluses and minuses of each. They have to know all their options before they can make an informed decision,” Ken notes.

According to Ken, the main difference between the Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans is whether you want to pay healthcare expenses upfront as with the Medicare Supplemental plan with higher monthly premiums, or whether you want lower or no monthly premiums, but higher out-of-pocket exposure as with Medicare Advantage plans.

“You can either pay for healthcare expenses upfront as with a Medicare Supplemental plan with Original Medicare, or you can pay the expenses when they happen as with a Medicare Advantage plan,” Ken notes.

“The pluses on the Medicare Supplemental plan is you know what your costs are going to be for the year because you know it's very low exposure,” Ken says. “Your maximum exposure is $283 monthly, unless you get a plan that has a few copays. The other plus for a Supplemental plan is that it is not an HMO or a PPO so you manage your care. There are no prior authorizations.”

Ken explains that, with the Medicare Advantage plan, you have more exposure but you have much less initial cost. “The best plans are going to be anywhere from zero dollars to $50 a month. Plus, the dental, vision and hearing are all included. Also, prescription coverage, gym memberships, and other ancillary benefits are included in the plan. However, you are going to have higher copays if you receive hospital services,” he says.

Medicare has an annual enrollment period (see sidebar article) during which enrollees may make changes to their coverage. This year, the enrollment period is October 15 to December 7 and coverages become effective on January 1. There is also an open enrollment period which is January 1 to March 31.

KMB Insurance Services also offers health insurance for the self-employed, for those who do not have health insurance as an employer benefit and for those under age 65. They also offer final expenses insurance for those who do not have life insurance.

If you are looking for health insurance or one of the other insurance products KMB offers, you can reach them at (724) 695-3031 or via their website at www.kmbinsurance.com. Their offices are located in Essex Plaza at 7900 Steubenville Pike, Suite 33, Imperial, PA 15126.