Articles:

The holiday season is upon us, and the end of yet another year hovers around the corner. As the year draws to a close, it is natural to begin a reflective thought process. We think of where we have been and where we are going; what we have done, what we need to do and what we want to do. We contemplate all that we have accomplished and all that we still have to achieve. The opportunities of the past year flood our mind, while opportunities of the future drive our actions and dominate our plans of what’s to come.

Sometimes, opportunities are things we did not notice the first time around. However, a second look, a change of perspective, gives way to seeing things in a whole new light. There is a saying, “In order to succeed we must first believe that we can.” And in the insurance industry, experience has taught us that success comes when you develop the ability to put into effect what is in your mind. In June of this year we gave first mention to the withdrawal of “CHEAP” insurance from the Medicare market. It was at that time we put into effect what was in our mind - positioning ourselves to better serve the Senior market.

At the end of 1999, managed care withdrawals affected more than 300,000 Seniors, which created a boon for those Branches that were prepared. This year, we learned from the successes and mistakes of last year’s participants, and made sure all of you were prepared for the nearly one million Seniors affected by this round of disenrollments. Whether or not Seniors were directly affected by the withdrawals, most were concerned with healthcare in general, and it was our challenge to overcome “CHEAP” insurance. You have done more than just try to overcome this challenge, - you have seized the opportunity to try to absolutely capture the Senior market, and we have a long way to go - but we will succeed!

Since August the Exclusive Agency Division’s efforts at capturing the Senior market have been extraordinary. Our T.E.A.M. has managed to have many repetitive record-breaking weeks, with some Branches writing well over a half million dollars. Recruiting has also been in high gear. We have seen nearly more recruits in one week’s time than we saw in a month’s time last year. As a result, we have now exceeded 1,000 producers in a week for the first time in our history. To put this in perspective, in 1997 we averaged only 392 producers, and as of the report dated 12/11/00 we had 1066 producers. 

Now as we look back on 2000 and remember the opportunities of the year past, we must also look forward to the opportunities of the year to come. And as we recall moments of achievement, and milestones met, let us resolve to meet and exceed even more challenges in 2001.

At United American, we want to extend our sincere thanks for your outstanding T.E.A.M. efforts throughout 2000, and wish you and yours a happy holiday season. Together Everyone Achieved More in 2000... and will again in 2001!