Writer / Amy Beaucham
A new chapter in life can bring exciting possibilities. Retirement may be close enough to imagine, a long-held dream of self-employment may finally feel within reach, or a family may simply be looking ahead and planning for the future. Along with those opportunities can come important questions about health insurance, Medicare, medical bills, prescription costs and changing provider networks.
Emily Haskins has built her work around helping clients find clear answers during those important moments. She is a trusted, independent licensed insurance agent with HealthMarkets Insurance Agency Inc., which is licensed as an insurance agency nationwide except in Massachusetts. HealthMarkets provides its licensed agents access to plans from hundreds of insurance companies, allowing Haskins to offer guidance tailored to each client’s circumstances and priorities.
Her clients call or visit her office because their circumstances have changed, an important deadline is approaching, or they want additional information before making a coverage decision. Haskins understands that individuals and families making such significant decisions need more than a list of available plans. They also value patient explanations and the opportunity to discuss their needs and questions with a knowledgeable resource.
“I hope they walk out feeling like someone is in their corner,” Haskins says. “Whether someone enrolls in a plan that day or not, I want them to leave understanding their options and feeling confident about the next step. If they leave thinking, ‘I finally understand this,’ then I’ve done my job.”
From her office in downtown Plymouth, Haskins assists individuals, families, Medicare beneficiaries, people preparing for retirement and self-employed clients. She also works with business owners who are exploring ways to provide coverage options for their employees. There is no charge for clients to meet with Haskins, ask questions, compare available options or receive her assistance. Her services cost clients nothing because she is compensated by insurance companies when clients enroll in a plan.
Her office is located on the first floor of the Plymouth Building at 310 N. Michigan St., directly across from 1st Source Bank. Choosing a first-floor location was intentional. Since Medicare clients make up the largest portion of her business, Haskins wanted her office to be convenient and accessible.
Haskins serves approximately 500 clients, primarily throughout northwestern Indiana. She is also licensed in Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Georgia and Florida. Her Georgia license came about after a longtime client moved there and graciously asked whether Haskins would consider becoming licensed in the state so their relationship could continue.
“That was such a heartwarming moment for me,” she says. “It made me feel like I must really be doing a good job.”
A lifelong resident of northwestern Indiana, Haskins grew up in North Liberty on 10 acres, where country life included a family garden and daily chores. She was the quiet child in the family, happiest reading in a corner and perfectly content entertaining herself. She followed the rules and carried that dependable nature into adulthood.
Haskins says she and her family lovingly refer to her as her mother’s “mini-me.”
“I take after her in every respect of my life, and I think I’m incredibly lucky for that,” she says.
That quiet childhood might seem far removed from a profession centered on conversations, meetings and personal guidance. Haskins is still an introvert by nature, but her desire to help others has given her the courage to step beyond her natural comfort zone. The same thoughtful qualities that once made her a careful observer now help her listen closely to clients and understand what matters most to them.
Haskins attended Indiana University South Bend and considered several majors during her first year, including nursing and secondary education. Rather than continue accumulating college expenses while uncertain about her future, she decided to enter the workforce and give herself time to determine the right path.
She then spent approximately 15 years as a legal assistant, working in areas including bankruptcy and mortgage foreclosure. That career provided valuable knowledge and experience, but the work did not satisfy her desire to help others in the meaningful way she had hoped.
“I’m somebody with a helper’s heart,” she says. “That legal assistant work did not give me the sense of helping that I needed.” Her husband, Mathew, recognized her unhappiness and encouraged her to make a change. Timing soon provided an unexpected answer.
After serving as a full-time police officer for 15 years, Mathew left law enforcement in 2020 to take over his family’s underground construction business. The couple needed to find individual health coverage for him and worked with a local HealthMarkets agent.
Later, as Haskins was considering a career change, she received an email from that agent asking whether she might be interested in an opportunity with HealthMarkets.
“It was meant to be,” she says.
Haskins researched HealthMarkets and appreciated the resources and independence the company could provide. She also valued that agents are self-employed and contract with HealthMarkets, giving them access to products from multiple insurance carriers rather than being limited to one company’s offerings.
HealthMarkets provides technology, educational materials, marketing opportunities, mentoring and the support of a regional team of agents. Haskins liked knowing she could build a locally based business centered on personal relationships rather than spending each day making one sales call after another.
“I’m not a salesperson by nature,” she says. “Sitting and dialing the phone all day, trying to sell something, was not going to work for me. Establishing relationships with my clients was going to work for me.”
She took a leap of faith and began her business in 2021. Haskins says that, next to marrying her husband, entering the insurance profession was the best decision she has ever made.
Her grandfather spent his career in property and casualty insurance, but he passed away in 2020, one year before she entered the field. Haskins wishes she could have shared her new career with the man she describes as the beloved patriarch of her family.
“I know he would have been over the moon that somebody else in the family got into insurance,” she says.
Medicare has become both the largest part of her business and a particular passion. Haskins knows how overwhelming the transition can seem, especially when people begin receiving stacks of information before their 65th birthdays. She encourages them to begin asking questions early and not assume the plan that works for a friend or neighbor will also be right for them.
Doctors, prescriptions, provider networks, deductibles, copays, premiums and anticipated health needs can all affect which option is most appropriate. The plan with the lowest premium is not automatically the right choice. Paying a little more each month may sometimes provide better prescription coverage, access to preferred doctors or lower out-of-pocket costs throughout the year.
“Insurance is not a one-size-fits-all solution,” Haskins says. “What may be the best fit for you may not be the best fit for the person sitting next to you.”
She asks clients about their doctors, medications, budgets and priorities. HealthMarkets’ technology allows her to compare multiple carriers and determine which plans include a client’s physicians and prescriptions. She can also consider benefits that may become important in the coming year, including dental work or dentures, hearing aids, vision care or coverage for an expensive medication.
Haskins then narrows the choices and explains the differences between them in easy-to-understand terms.
“My job is to help clients understand the trade-offs so they can choose the plan that best fits their priorities,” she says. “Ultimately, it is my client’s decision, but I want them to feel confident that they understand why they are choosing that particular plan.”
Her assistance extends well beyond Medicare. Haskins works with individuals and families seeking Affordable Care Act marketplace coverage, self-employed clients and parents who need to add a newborn to the family’s insurance. She also assists small businesses that are exploring alternatives to increasingly expensive group coverage.
When a small business can no longer afford its group insurance plan, Haskins may meet individually with employees to help each person explore available coverage. The employer may still choose to help with the costs by establishing a health reimbursement arrangement and contributing a set amount toward each employee’s insurance.
Haskins also helps people explore their health insurance options before leaving a job to start a business or retire early. Several clients have discovered that obtaining affordable individual health coverage was more manageable than they had expected.
“Watching someone realize that health insurance will not prevent them from pursuing their dream is incredibly rewarding,” Haskins says.
Life insurance and valuable supplemental coverage are also important parts of her work. Supplemental plans may help with expenses associated with accidents, hospitalization, critical illnesses, cancer, dental care or vision needs. These policies do not replace a primary health insurance plan. Instead, they may provide additional financial assistance with expenses that health insurance does not completely cover.
“Health insurance helps pay for medical treatment and services,” Haskins says. “Supplemental insurance can provide additional financial protection for some of the other expenses that may arise when an illness or injury occurs.”
Life insurance can be a difficult subject, but Haskins believes it is one of the most important conversations a family can have. A young couple may need to consider income replacement, mortgage payments and a child’s future education. A business owner may want to protect the company, employees or family members. Later in life, the focus may shift toward final expenses and leaving a legacy.
“Life insurance is not about preparing for death,” she says. “It is about protecting the people who are still here. A life insurance policy is the last way you will tell your family that you love them when you’re gone.”
The relationships Haskins develops with clients do not end when an application is completed. She remains available throughout the year when they move, retire, marry, welcome a baby, change medications or begin seeing a different doctor. She also reaches out to ask how their coverage is working, discuss changes they may need to consider and remind Medicare clients to take advantage of benefits included in their plans.
“I never expect you to remember everything we’ve talked about,” she tells them. “That’s not your job. That’s my job. When you have questions, I want you to call me.”
Her commitment to continued service has helped her business grow largely through referrals. New clients contact her several times each week after hearing about her from someone she has assisted, and every referral still makes her smile.
In one memorable instance, two coworkers separately told a man seeking coverage that they each had “a girl” he needed to contact. Both were referring to Haskins.
Her work has also earned community recognition. Just four years after launching her business, Haskins’ agency was voted Best Insurance Agency in Marshall County by readers of The Pilot News.
Haskins recently added an assistant, JoAnn, who helps with scheduling, client calls and answering the phone when Haskins is in appointments. Allowing someone else to manage Haskins’ calendar is difficult for her self-described Type A personality, but the added support is already allowing her to spend more time meeting with clients, explaining their options and responding when they need assistance.
Haskins hopes to expand her team as her business continues to grow, but she is determined never to lose the personal attention on which it was built.
“I want every client to feel like they have a knowledgeable resource who knows them, understands their situation and is always there for them long after enrollment,” she says.
Her passion for serving others also extends throughout the community. Haskins is completing a term as township trustee, an elected position through which she has helped residents apply for financial assistance when they are struggling with essential expenses. Her responsibilities have also included preparing the township budget and overseeing matters related to the fire department and local cemeteries.
Her husband shares that dedication to community service through his role as a volunteer fire chief.
An avid animal lover, Haskins also sponsored adoption fees at the local Humane Society during a holiday “Empty the Shelters” event. Her love for animals often becomes another way to connect with clients. She happily exchanges dog photos with them and also admits that when she meets someone walking a dog, the dog may receive her attention first.
Away from work, Haskins and her husband enjoy gardening, traveling and spending time with their two dogs on the 27-acre property where they built their home. Water is her happy place, and the couple owns three boats that she playfully describes as “small, medium and large.” Their favorite trips often include boating and saltwater fishing along Florida’s Panhandle.
Those opportunities to recharge are especially valuable before the demanding fall enrollment season, when Haskins may spend 12-hour days meeting with clients. Though naturally introverted, she has learned to step confidently into an extroverted profession because the purpose behind each conversation matters so deeply to her.
The quiet child who once preferred sitting alone with a book now spends her days calming fears, answering questions and helping hundreds of people understand decisions that can affect their health, finances and futures.
Her message to Lakes West readers is simple.
“Asking questions doesn’t cost you anything,” Haskins says. “Making a wrong decision can. Health insurance is too important to leave to guesswork or internet searches.”
Even when someone only wants a second opinion, Haskins is willing to review the available choices. If a client is already enrolled in the plan that best meets their needs, she will recommend staying with it rather than making an unnecessary change.
For Haskins, success is not measured only by the number of policies she helps clients secure. It is found in the relief on someone’s face when confusing information finally makes sense. It is found in the family that can confidently prepare for retirement, the aspiring business owner who discovers a dream is within reach, and the client who knows exactly whom to call when life unexpectedly changes.
Insurance may be the reason clients first enter her office, but understanding, trust and continued support are what Haskins hopes they carry home. Through every question answered, every option carefully explained and every relationship she continues to nurture, she strives to give each client the reassuring knowledge that someone is truly in their corner.
Emily Haskins HealthMarkets Licensed Insurance Agent is located at 310 N. Michigan St., Suite 103 Plymouth, IN 46563. You can call at (574) 933-1234 or (574) 933-3371 or email ehaskins@HealthMarkets.com
