JM Ford & Associates supports TAP through transitions
Jeff Ford is President and Senior Account Executive of JM Ford & Associates. He describes his firm as “Insurance innovators.” The phrase applies to how the company handles plan design, carrier mix, and specialty services. Primary focus is on employer group benefits, Medicare, and individual health insurance needs. “There is so much information and misinformation out there about insurance,” Jeff explains. “We help clients work through the minutia.”
The firm supports employer groups ranging in size from 2-2,000 employees. “We do every core benefit – health, dental, vision, life, disability, long-term care – anything that touches an employer benefit plan we have access to or do,” he explains. Forty percent of his business is Medicare. “Ten thousand Boomers are aging into Medicare every day,” he says. Insurance carriers pay JM Ford & Associates directly. This means most clients don’t pay the firm a fee for services. The exception is consulting contracts.
“We make sure we are appointed with every carrier that does business in Virginia,” Jeff explains. Firm agents customize solutions for a particular client’s needs.
Jeff is a big believer in giving back to the community. JM Ford & Associates is an Inspire Level investor with TAP. They’re also a corporate sponsor for the Children’s Trust. The firm supports Taubman Museum, Good Samaritan Hospice, and Attic Productions too. Jeff doesn’t like promoting himself or his company. He says he’s willing to share his story to encourage others to step up. “I’m a small agency, but hopefully it gets other small businesses to realize they should be helping out too.”
Supporting TAP
“When I first started working with TAP, they faced an issue of not having enough people on their plan” Jeff recalls. That was 13 years ago. He found a plan offering more flexible eligibility. Then he built up enrollment. A TAP health reimbursement account now keeps benefit and premium costs down.
“A lot of what is perceived that we do is we market and shop and RFP the different plans, but really where an agency is supposed to earn their money is all the behind-the-scenes service,” Jeff explains. “Health insurance can be very time intensive. One of my key jobs is during renewals, fighting the rate hikes and getting the best plans we can get our hands on.”
“I appreciate TAP every day for what they do,” Jeff says. “Every time I think I know what all their departments do, I find out there are more departments doing more stuff than I knew about. Their reach touches the entire Valley in one way or another, and I can’t speak highly enough about that. The executive team and upper management breathe and bleed TAP.” Angela Penn is the third TAP President & CEO he’s supported. Jeff stays in touch with former agency leaders Annette Lewis and Ted Edlich. “I value TAP not just because they’re a client, but because of what they do.” JM Ford & Associates celebrated it’s 20-year anniversary in May. Clients Jeff brought with him from his prior employer are still with him today. “The value I place on my clients is second to none,” he says. “That’s why we try to do everything humanly possible for them, because I wouldn’t be in business without them.”