Life, annuities, and supplemental coverage — from a licensed senior insurance specialist.

Beyond Medicare — what else Mark is licensed to sell

While Medicare is Mark's specialty, his Texas insurance license (#1994362) covers multiple Lines of Authority. If you're 60+ and thinking about retirement protection, end-of-life planning, or filling coverage gaps Medicare doesn't address, these are products Mark can help with.

Mark's NPN (17559214) and license are verifiable through the National Insurance Producer Registry and the Texas Department of Insurance.

Life Insurance

Term Life Insurance

Term life provides coverage for a specific number of years (10, 15, 20, or 30) and pays out a death benefit if you pass away during that term. Premiums are lower than permanent insurance because there's no cash value component — it's pure protection.

Best for: People who need temporary protection — covering a mortgage, replacing income while children are at home, or supplementing other coverage during peak earning years.

Whole Life Insurance

Whole life provides permanent coverage that never expires (as long as premiums are paid) and builds tax-deferred cash value over time. Premiums are higher but stay level for life.

Best for: People who want lifelong coverage, leaving an inheritance, paying final expenses, or using life insurance as part of an estate plan.

Universal Life Insurance

Universal life is permanent coverage with flexible premiums and a cash value component that earns interest. You can adjust premium payments and death benefits within limits.

Best for: People who want permanent coverage but more flexibility than whole life provides.

Final Expense Insurance (Burial Insurance)

A smaller whole life policy ($5,000–$50,000) specifically designed to cover funeral, burial, and final medical expenses. Underwriting is simplified — often no medical exam required.

Best for: Seniors who want to protect family from funeral costs (which average $9,000–$12,000 in Texas) without leaving them to pay out of pocket. Most clients age 50–85 qualify.

Annuities

Annuities are insurance contracts that turn a lump sum (or series of payments) into guaranteed income for retirement. They're not investments — they're income guarantees. Mark holds a Texas Life license that includes fixed annuity authority.

Fixed Annuities

Pay a fixed interest rate over a guaranteed period. Principal is protected. Predictable, conservative.

Best for: People who want CD-like safety with often-higher returns and tax deferral.

Fixed Indexed Annuities (FIA)

Earn interest based on a market index (like the S&P 500) with a floor that prevents loss. You don't get full market returns, but you don't lose money in down years.

Best for: Retirees who want some growth potential without taking market risk on their principal.

Immediate Annuities (SPIA)

You pay a lump sum and immediately start receiving guaranteed monthly income for a set period or for life.

Best for: Retirees who want to convert a portion of savings into a guaranteed paycheck they can't outlive.

Dental, Vision & Hearing

Original Medicare doesn't cover routine dental cleanings, eye exams for glasses, or hearing aids. These are real expenses that hit retirees — and they add up fast.

Standalone Dental Plans

For people on Original Medicare + Medigap, or Advantage plans with limited dental. Plans typically cover preventive care 100% and offer 50–80% coverage on basic and major services. Annual maximums apply.

Vision Plans

Cover routine eye exams, frames, and lenses. Some include contact lens benefits. Useful even if you have an Advantage plan, as many bundled vision benefits have low limits.

Hearing Plans

Hearing aid coverage is one of the biggest gaps in Medicare. Quality hearing aids can cost $3,000–$8,000 per pair. Some standalone plans help. Some Medicare Advantage plans include hearing — Mark will check what your specific plan offers before recommending an add-on.

Hospital Indemnity & Cancer/Critical Illness

These are supplemental health products that pay you cash directly when specific events happen — independent of any other coverage.

Hospital Indemnity

Pays a daily cash benefit if you're admitted to the hospital. The money goes directly to you to use however you want — copays, deductibles, transportation, missed work for caregiving spouse, etc.

Best for: Medicare Advantage members who want to offset hospital stay copays (which can be $300–$400/day on some Advantage plans).

Cancer & Critical Illness Insurance

Pays a lump-sum cash benefit when you're diagnosed with cancer, heart attack, stroke, or other covered critical illnesses. Use the money for treatment, travel to specialists, lost income, mortgage payments — anything.

Best for: People with family history of cancer or cardiac disease who want a financial backstop beyond Medicare.

Short-Term Medical Insurance

For people in coverage gaps — between jobs, waiting for Medicare eligibility, or between losing employer coverage and starting a Marketplace plan. Not a substitute for major medical coverage long-term, but useful as a bridge.

Note: Short-term plans are not ACA-compliant and don't cover pre-existing conditions. They're a stopgap, not a permanent solution.

What Mark won't sell you

Mark is an independent agent, which means he can choose what to offer. There are products he doesn't sell because they don't typically serve clients well:

• Variable annuities and variable life — These require a Series 6/63 securities license and have higher fees and market risk. Mark is licensed for fixed insurance products, not securities.
• "Senior discount" packages bundling unrelated products — If a product makes sense, it makes sense on its own.
• Anything you don't need. If you call about life insurance and Mark thinks you'd be better off increasing your emergency fund instead, he'll tell you.

How insurance fits with Medicare planning

Mark's approach: Medicare first, supplemental products second. The point of insurance isn't to maximize commissions — it's to fill specific gaps in your overall financial plan.

On any consultation, Mark will:

1. Make sure your Medicare coverage is right
2. Identify real gaps in your protection (final expense, income replacement for spouse, hospital copay exposure)
3. Recommend supplemental products only when they solve a real problem
4. Never use high-pressure sales tactics or "limited time offers"

States where Mark is licensed

Mark holds active insurance licenses in Texas (home state), Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Tennessee, and Washington. Lines of Authority and active appointments vary by state — Mark will verify which products he can offer in your state on your call.