Business of the Week: Medical Coach Guides Clients Through Medicare

For many people approaching retirement, choosing health insurance can feel like learning a new language. Peachtree City business owner Cindy Clonts created Medical Coach to make those decisions easier.

Clonts is an independent health insurance broker who helps individuals understand Medicare, marketplace insurance, and other coverage options. Although she works with people of different ages, most of her clients are approaching or have already reached Medicare eligibility.

“I’m like a coach and a guide,” Clonts said. “I don’t charge for my services, but mainly my clients are Medicare clients.”

Clonts helps clients enroll in Medicare Parts A and B before walking them through the additional choices available to them. Those decisions may include Medicare Advantage plans, which operate more like traditional employer coverage, or Medigap policies, which work alongside original Medicare.

She is appointed with multiple insurance carriers, including UnitedHealthcare, Aetna, HealthSpring, Humana, and Blue Cross Blue Shield. Working with several companies allows her to consider each client’s health, budget, and individual circumstances.

“Everybody falls in a different category, and everybody’s budget is different,” Clonts said. “Everybody’s health is different, so I am just kind of their guide.”

Clonts has worked in insurance since 2012, beginning with property and casualty coverage before moving into life and health insurance. She began focusing on health insurance in 2023.

She said specializing has allowed her to become more knowledgeable about the complicated rules surrounding Medicare enrollment and coverage.

“Everybody thinks that they’re going to get a penalty for life if they don’t sign up at the right time, and that they have to get on Medicare,” Clonts said. “There’s no one rule.”

Her work sometimes extends beyond selecting a policy.

Clonts recently received a call from a man who had lost his Medicare Part B coverage after he was unable to make the required payments. Initially, both believed he might have to remain uninsured for several months.

After their conversation stayed on her mind, Clonts called him the following day and encouraged him to contact Medicare. She suggested that he ask whether paying the overdue balance would allow his coverage to be reinstated.

He later called her with good news: He was getting his coverage back.

“I’m not even his agent,” Clonts said. “But I know that I did the right thing for him.”

She said helping someone is worthwhile even when the conversation does not immediately produce business.

“I feel fortunate enough that I’ve got enough customers on my books that I can do that for people that are in need,” she said. “That’s what makes my heart happy.”

As Medical Coach has grown, Clonts has found support through Launch Fayette. During the early years of her business, she often met clients in coffee shops or libraries. She now has an office at Launch Fayette where she can meet privately and consistently with clients.

The organization also provides business mentorship, classes, and connections with community partners. Clonts said that guidance has become particularly valuable as she mentors other independent insurance agents and works to grow beyond her individual practice.

“They meet you where you are,” Clonts said.

Launch Fayette has also helped connect her with organizations such as Cresswind, where she offers Medicare education and workshops. She plans to expand those educational events during the fall Medicare annual enrollment season.

Clonts has lived in Peachtree City since 2010. Originally from California, she and her family moved several times while her husband served in the military. The couple raised three children, including a daughter serving in the Air Force, a married son living in Florida, and a 20-year-old attending Georgia Tech.

After years of moving, Clonts said her family has found its home in the Fayette community.

“We love it here,” she said. “We’re here to stay.”

Clonts said she enjoys building relationships with clients and hearing about their plans for retirement. She does not view the people she serves merely as customers.

“I feel like my people aren’t just customers; they’re clients,” Clonts said. “Clients are people that we get to know.”

For more information or to schedule an appointment, visit medicalcoach.org.