Peggy Gawley’s empathy for her clients is personal.
“My compassion for them is an extension of my own family,” says Gawley, an adviser in individual health at Ollis/Akers/Arney. “Having been a caregiver for my brother with AIDS, my sister with cervical cancer and later breast cancer, and my elderly mother, I am a nurturer.”
She joined Ollis/Akers/Arney in 2014, bringing more than 20 years of experience in health care at both Mercy and CoxHealth. In addition to helping clients navigate Medicare, she advises people under the age of 65 with individual health care needs and assists with long-term care plans.
“My Medicare clients love how much I make Medicare simple and the process painless,” Gawley says.
Howard Fisk is one of those people.
“Peggy recently helped me assimilate into the era of Medicare. The whole process was initially uncomfortable,” says Fisk, founder of J. Howard Fisk Limousines Inc. “The Social Security Administration appears to want to make it as hard as possible for new enrollees.”
Enter Gawley.
“I appreciate the easy and methodical way that Peggy walked me though the options. She knows my current coverage, which was very helpful, because she could help me focus on what I needed, not on all of the options that didn’t apply to me or my situation,” Fisk says. “Peggy sells comfort and security, not insurance. I found the confidence needed to make two important life decisions, because she made it easy.”
Gawley’s assistance is comfort to clients who don’t know where else to turn. She says her clients come to her overwhelmed with information, feeling lost because they don’t understand all of their options. One recent client on disability that was getting ready to turn 65 was struggling to navigate the federal system.
“Knowing my Medicare guidelines, I did my due diligence,” Gawley says. “This client was going on end-of-life hospice care, and by advocating for my client, he was able to move to a Medicare supplement, cut his premiums in half and have no out-of-pocket expenses. His wife was able to continue working, and they told me I literally changed their lives.”
Gawley is a member of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security & Medicare, National Association of Medicare Supplement Advisors, International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse and the Coalition for Medicare Choices.
“My client’s business is their health, so I take every precaution to make sure I identify all plan options, look at their current health care needs and advise them on a plan that will carry them through their retirement years,” she says. “My clients are like family to me, and I try to provide them comfort and security, not just insurance. They need an expert they can trust to properly advise them.”
One of Gawley’s most important endeavors takes place outside office walls.
“I performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City twice, but I use my music for a more important audience – singing for seniors in nursing homes,” she says. “Sharing music one-on-one is healing for those suffering, and music communicates unlike anything else.”
