Another Member of the Family

By Alexander Germanis

The disciplines of psychology, theology, sociology, and biology have long understood and propagated the idea that family is integral to the development of the individual. From the moment we are first brought into this world to our last moments upon it, the importance of having family close by cannot be overstated.

Whether you come from a sizeable clan or were an only child, whether you are alone or encompassed by loved ones, there are still others who wish to help fill the important roles of family: to look out for you, make sure you’re safe, and see you’re taken care of.

The agents at Medical Reimbursement and Management Services (MRMS) in Peoria have been fulfilling those roles for years and it’s never too late to add them to your family list.

Family Looks Out for Each Other

The family mentality at MRMS comes naturally. When Steven Buttice moved from Rockford to Peoria in the early 1980s, he didn’t know a soul downstate. Establishing MRMS in 1984 was a way to not only meet a variety of people but also to meet their insurance needs. An independent insurance brokerage, MRMS shops plans based on a person’s life, health, and disability insurance needs, wants, and financial situation.

While Steven started the brokerage to connect with, help, and be familial with others, it soon became a tie to literal family. His son, Steven Buttice II, worked under his father’s tutelage at MRMS while simultaneously earning his degree in business.

“My father taught me along with the other staff here how to operate and assist individuals on their specific needs,” Steve declares. “He implemented and practiced his core values through MRMS, which allowed it to grow as it did.”

Those values are alive and well today as evinced by Senior Solutions Broker and Office Manager Tamia Banks. “Agents are not just agents. We treat everyone as family,” she states. “We get to know each individual personally. We don’t enroll clients into plans and leave them. We want to keep a regular relationship with each of them throughout the year.”

With a 23-year career in nursing prior to her tenure at MRMS, Tamia has never stopped being concerned with the well-being of others. That concern remains well past the initial stage of finding the right plan for someone.

Just as insurance plans can change, an individual’s needs change. Additional medications might be prescribed, or a new health concern might arise, so Tamia and the other staff want to know about it. “That way we can plan all year and not just during the annual enrollment period,” she adds.

See the World, but Be Covered

With retirement comes a lot of life alterations. Some of those adjustments, thankfully, do not involve medication, doctor’s visits, or Medicare coverage. The ability to travel, for instance, is something to which many soon-to-be-retirees look forward.

While traveling within the United States is something many seniors enjoy, the lure of international travel is a luxury many cannot afford or simply do not have time for during the years of working and raising a family.

With the freedom of retirement comes freedom of movement. That does not mean there should be freedom from forethought, however.

“Medicare usually doesn’t cover health care when traveling outside the United States,” Tamia counsels. “There may be some rare cases, but you should be aware and be prepared. Purchasing travel insurance is a priority. We can help individuals navigate this if needed. We also provide a link on our website.”

Of course, should family from other countries wish to spend some time with you now that you’re retired, MRMS can set them up with travel insurance plans during their visit as well.

Plan for Your Future and Others’

Beside insurance needs, Steven Buttice also established a way to help seniors with another, often unpleasant, part of retirement living. By founding MRMS’ sister company, Living By Your Design (LBYD), Steven recognized the changing living needs of many seniors and the challenges these changes can bring about.

“Living By Your Design offers help to seniors and their families during planning and/or difficult times of seeking assisted living or retirement homes and even home health services,” Tamia explains. Case manager and senior advocate Tamia comes from a wide range of experience in senior health care nursing, including assisted living and home health.

“We take on the hard part, visiting facilities and home health agencies, and building relationships with directors and managers in the senior communities in the area,” she says. “We know what is out there, and once we talk to you we can help point you in the right direction. Making the transition into your new home is easier having someone experience it with you.”

Moving to assisted living or looking for home health care are just two of the burdens with which LBYD and MRMS help. Finding the right life insurance plan for you and your loved ones among the 70 different companies out there is something nobody really wants to do, so it should come as a comfort that your family at MRMS is willing to spend the time on it for you. That time spent planning will bring more than peace of mind to your family, it will bring peace to you.

“Life insurance is important for all but very important for seniors,” reminds Tamia. “Just knowing your family will be taken care of or your funeral expenses are covered will help lift the burden for you and your loved ones. Agents here at MRMS are here to help with that. Getting to know your needs and wants we can provide individual quotes that are affordable.”

A Family Legacy Protecting Your Family Legacy

Thirty-eight years ago, Steven Buttice started a business with a goal to help others. Now his son, partnered with Tamia, work together to make sure that legacy continues.

“I hope to honor my father’s legacy by continuing MRMS operations and aid people in the community with the morals and ethics he implemented in myself and our business operations,” Steve says. Engaged in this work, Steve is “reminded how blessed I am to have worked for my dad.”

No matter how long they have been serving or how much Medical Reimbursement and Management Service has grown, they remain the same in the two most important ways: They treat you like family and they want to do what’s best for your family.

Medical Reimbursement & Management Services-Inc. is located at 809 West Detweiller Dr. in Peoria, IL. If you wish to set up an appointment to find what insurance plan is best suited for you, please call (309) 693-1060 or visit us on the web at www.mrms-inc.com.