As Vice President of Group Benefits, Terry Merritt oversees our account management team. She has been with WD & Associates since its inception and works closely with both our brokers and our clients. She prides herself on our client retention rates.

Terry has heard it all and learned a few things along the way. Today she’s sharing a bit of her story:

How has your role changed over time?

When Bill first started out, it was just the two of us and not many health insurance brokers in RI. Every phone call and every issue was a learning experience for both of us.

How does the work you do at WDA make a difference for people? How does that make you feel?

I particularly get satisfaction out of understanding a client’s immediate need and being able to assist them in a resolution.

Why is working for WDA important to you?

I am able to fulfill my love of problem solving and helping others.

Describe a time you helped a client solve a claim/situation that helped save an employee and/or the client money.

Some of my proudest moments were when I was able to help clients with international claims.  They take a long time; you have to get the bills translated to English, the money converted to USD, etc.  I used a translation website to compose emails/fax text. 

In the end, after a couple of months of going back & forth with overseas hospitals and the insurance carrier, the claims were paid and the members (our clients) were extremely happy.

It was pretty satisfying to be able to tackle what seemed to be an impossible task and be able to deliver the good news to the client.

Describe a time you made a client/employee’s life easier.

I often find myself teaching our older clients that are not necessarily tech savvy how to navigate through insurance websites

Think of a time when you felt really great about the work you did for a client/employee.

I have assisted clients in securing inpatient treatment facilities for substance abuse. They are extremely grateful because it is those facilities that essentially save their lives and it feels great knowing I had a small part in it.

 Where do you see this industry in the future?

This industry is very unpredictable and that definitely keeps things interesting as we are constantly learning and having to adapt to new regulations and changes with each change in government administration

Finish this sentence: The key to success in this industry going forward is…

SERVICE!