Robert W. Kulessa Agency

05/11/2026

A “Confession” about Life Insurance and a Thank You to Mama

04/27/2026

2 weeks ago, we buried our mother, Purita Taas Alamo, a woman of great faith in our Lord and a great love for her family. We all loved her because she never ceased to put our family first. Her passing is a tremendous pain that I am not sure time will subside.

Her passing though taught me one thing about my business, though. For nearly my entire career I refused to talk about final expense life insurance. I never saw myself doing that kind of sale. Our agency was always about health insurance be it group coverage or Medicare, life insurance was something I never spoke about....until now.

Mama had a very basic service, nothing extravagant. We did one night at Kedz for 4 hours (thank you everyone who came to say goodbye to Mama you all touched our hearts with your presence), we did a funeral service at St Justin's (Thank you Father Mark for such a beautiful service) and we did a burial at St. Josephs Cemetery. The bill for that was $12,000. We now have to purchase her Memorial Stone and that can range from $2-6,000. So even if you do like we did, respectful but not extravagant, you are all in at around $15,000. Unbeknownst to us, she had quietly purchased a Final Expense plan on her own telling Arlene about it a mere days before she left us. Let me tell you, it was a true blessing. It showed up at the perfect time and took away the stress of planning something while you are grieving and figuring out how to pay for it.

This is not a sales schtick, this is just your insurance guy telling you what happened to him and what could potentially happen to you if you are left unaware.

I have looked around over the last week and found some plans that are affordable and some have guaranteed issue. I did plans for Arlene and I, if you are interested in chatting with me, no pressure or anything like that drop me a message and we can sit down over a cup of coffee and talk about your options.

We miss Mama terribly but one of her final acts showed me how much she loved her family making sure that this most stressful time was made a bit easier because of her foresight.

03/10/2026

This is a bit long but if you want to hear how an insurance agency goes from a $30 order of business cards from Staples and a $99 Brother fax machine to a 25 year industry leader, please read on.
The day started off normal. Nice leisurely drive out the back roads to Mt. Laurel and my job as a Broker Rep for Aetna. It was a great job that I truly loved. Despite all of that, my world was changing that day and I had no idea.
"Hey Rob, Karen needs to see you in her office" said my assistant. Oh boy, here we go. Karen and I did not get along. She didn't like my style of broker relations. She ignored the 200% increase of marketshare and focused on my taking brokers out for golfing, Eagles games, Flyers games and Phillies games. I knew my job, I knew what brokers wanted and I delivered. In return they delivered to the tune of a 200% increase in small group marketshare for Aetna. I guess it wasn't good enough.
"Rob, I have some bad news. We are letting you go from your broker rep position" she said with a smug grin on her face. I asked why and she explained how I was making people jealous in the office with all the golfing and events at stadiums making it look like I wasn't working. I asked her wasn't the 200% increase in business enough to quiet that complaint down? She said no and off I went.
Wow, I just got fired. What the hell am I going to do now? As if it were Divine Intervention, my first call was to my dear friend, Dennis Dressel at Howe Benefits. I told him what happened and how devastated I was. I also said I never want to be fired again and will never work for any one ever again. He said I had the opportunity of a lifetime in front of me. Now is the time to go out on my own and start my own agency. It made sense, it truly did. I just spent over a year learning what made good brokers good and bad brokers bad. I saw what worked and what didn't. I had compiled a sort of Broker Academy Field manual and now was the time to implement it. I said to Dennis, I am going to do it and you will be my Managing General Agent. We agreed and then I called Arlene and gave her the news (notice I didn't say bad before news).
The morning of February 2, 2001 I went down to Staples and placed a $30 order for business cards and bought a Brother Fax Machine for $99 and the agency was born. I hung my shingle, I planted my flag. Now the work begins.
For the first year of my business being open, I kept 4 books on the nightstand next to my bed. The Holy Bible, How To Master The Art of Selling by Tom Hopkins , The Art of The Deal by Donald J. Trump and The Art of War by Sun Tzu. Those 4 books contained an answer for every single problem or situation I would encounter. It worked.....
My Agency went through a few phases. Some stressful, some fun but all made me a better insurance professional and better businessman.
Phase One The Fax Phase.
I needed leads but couldn't afford to buy them. I had to find them and hope they were good. Well, I indeed found a source. Before the days of the National Do Not Call list, I had come up with a system for acquiring leads, working them and cataloging them. It was simple, I went on the old website bluebook.com where nearly every tradesman in NJ kept their contact info including their fax number. So, every day I collected 25 contacts. I loaded the fax number into the fax machine and the other contact info got added to Excel. Every night 25 small businesses got a fax that read "Are You Paying Too Much For Your Insurance? Let Me Tell You!!" and then below that was a section that said fill out this form to receive a no cost no obligation consultation regarding your employee benefit programs. It worked!!! I got about 2 or so back a day. I was up and running!!! I had Dennis and his staff doing my quotes for me and I was going out on 2 sales calls a day. The commission checks started rolling in. Not much at first but growing rapidly. I want to stop here for a minute and address a question my youngest son Richie asked me as he was getting in the business (we will talk more about him later). He asked, how did you do it, Dad? How were you able to create so much business so quickly?
My answer is simple. I had a wife, 2 kids, a mother in law, a mortgage, 2 car payments and 2 Catholic School tuition payments. I was under the gun and needed to deliver if I wanted my family to eat. I was forged under the pressure of ensuring my family had everything they needed. I had no choice, really. I had to grind at a high rate.
So, I was out and running. I had come up with a system of knocking on doors next to my prospect and saying "Hi, I was just seeing the folks at ABC Manufacturing about their employee benefit plan. Here's my card, if you want someone to take a look at your plan and maybe save you a few bucks while not sacrificing plan quality, I'd be honored to talk to you about it." That worked too!!! I thought I had it made, I believed life couldn't get better than this. NFIB had something to say about this.
Phase Two, the NFIB Phase
So in May of 2001, yes 3 months into my agency being open, I was reading my monthly NFIB magazine when I became outraged by what I saw. On the back cover of the magazine was an advertisement saying NFIB was selling health insurance to their members which meant my trade group just became my competition!!!!!! What I am about to tell you next actually happened, I swear on my kids!!!!!
"Good Afternoon, NFIB. The Voice of Small Business, how can I help you?" is what I heard and I went right in. I ask in a very loud and aggressive tone why I should be a member of an organization that just became my competition!!!! The shocked woman on the phone asked what I was talking about. I explained my business and how I saw the ad on her magazines back cover. She asked me if I was a broker, I said yes. She asked me where I was from, I told her New Jersey. She asked me to hold on and placed me on hold. I thought she was blowing me off and playing the "how long will he stay on hold before he gets mad and hangs up". A few minutes later a gentleman gets on the phone and a phone call occurs that changed my life and put my agency into the next level. Todd explains how they can't put their plans in certain states because of their insurance laws but they are looking for someone who can handle these members calling in. He asked me if I was also licensed in NY and Massachusetts. I said I was licensed in NY but could score a Massachusetts license quickly. A few more phone calls, a few more emails, a background investigation and on July 1, 2001 I became the sole insurance representative for NFIB members in NY, NJ and MA.
I never prospected again. I collected names as they called into my hotline and had Howe do all my census and quoting work. It became a well oiled machine, I was at the top of my game. In the space of 5 months, I went from being an unemployed broker rep to one of the largest health insurance brokers on the East Coast. I was making money hand over fist, I was servicing my clients and having fun. I no longer had to worry about bills or obligations. For the first time in my life I achieved financial security. The added bonus was at the 2007 NAHU golf outing, the Horizon rep called me "the king of the two life group" due to my heavy attention to those small two life groups. I learned early on in my career that I would rather have 50 two life groups as opposed to one 100 life group. To me it was simple, if I lose one group I won't feel it and I'll replace it tomorrow but if that 100 life broker loses a case, mama don't eat next week and replacing it will be extremely difficult. To me, it was living the Arnold Palmer quote "Play the shot you know you can make not the shot you hope you can make". But as it is said "nothing lasts forever" and the Affordable Care Act brought an end to this amazing phase.
The Affordable Care Act almost destroyed this agency. I lost 95% of my book of business in the space of 3 months. I was essentially broke with no options in front of me until Barry Lipschutz from United Healthcare called me and asked if I was interested in doing Medicare. The question "What the hell is Medicare" saved my agency.
Phase Three - The Medicare Phase
Barry Lipshutz goes on to explain how Medicare works, what the products are and how it all works. I nod my head in agreement as I could really see myself in this market. I loved the product and I truly loved the clientele. From 2010 until 2012 I was the broker of record for United Healthcare in the Ocean County Mall. It was fun, I was writing business again and meeting people. I met the coolest people. I met a guy who jumped into Normandy on D-Day, I met a guy who was a photographer at the Woodstock Festival in 1969 and I met a guy who founded one of the largest auto dealerships in NJ. It was great, I was having fun and I was almost instantly back financially. I was happy, I was content, I had financially recovered and Arlene was finally relieved. Then came the word that took my agency to previously unimaginable levels.
Walmart
I know what you are thinking, are you serious? Walmart? Really?
Yes, really. I took a phone call from Mary down in Florida and she asked me if I ever considered running Medicare operations in a local Walmart. After I stopped laughing and the opportunity was fully explained, I was in. It made complete sense to me. The $0 premium MAPD (Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug) plan was ideal for the demographic base of Walmart. Oh boy did it work!!!!! I returned to the top of the agency world and no one could believe it. Everyone thought I was done after the ACA became law but no, here I was....back on top. I was writing business like never before, I was living life with a nice tailwind once again. For 10 years I was at Walmart, I was building contacts, building relationships, creating referral opportunities and preparing to bring the ship in for retirement.
And here I am, 25 years of service. I have done it all in insurance. I have achieved things I never thought possible and insurance has taken me to places I only dreamed I would ever see.
The bonus is, my youngest son Richie is in the business now. In fact, we believe he is the youngest licensed producer in NJ state history at 18 years 2 months. In the space of 3 months he got his high school diploma and his NJ and Virginia life and health producers license. Yes, he is wrestling and earning his degree at Southern Virginia University but he is indeed in the game and I couldn't prouder.
25 years!!!! I don't know how many years I have left but I know I am blessed and favored and whatever happens it will be by God's Will. Cheers to 25!!!!!!!!

04/04/2025

Take care of your Medicare eligible friends and family members. Beware of scammers.

02/12/2025

Ok, this is a topic I find intriguing.
Medicare For All is a silly concept and one that will never work. It is camouflage for socialist single payer healthcare and will never work. Why you ask?

1. Medicare was formed in 1965 to provide health coverage those aged 65 and older. Medicare consists of Part A which is Hospital Services, Part B which is Outpatient and Physician Services, Part C which is Medicare Advantage and Part D which is Prescription Drug coverage. In 2001, Medicare was amended to cover Americans who have been fully disabled for 24 consecutive months. The Center for Medicare Services have had 60 years to get the actuarial science numbers right. They were able to do so because the demographic is rather limited as the vast majority of medicare recipients fall under the age 65 category of eligibility. Actuaries have come up with numbers that keep Medicare solvent. The Part B premiums, the Parts A&B deductibles and th4e standard scale for reimbursement. Again, it works because the target demographic is limited in size and scope. That would all change if medicare was forced to take on the entire population in the U.S, it would throw the numbers into turmoil.

2. The financials wouldn't work for Medicare For All. Right now, the Part B premium for Medicare is $185.00 for 2025. This premium is paid by all individuals receiving Part B benefits and is vital to having "Full Medicare". On top of that, there are
deductibles that need to be met. For 2025 the Part A deductible is $1,676 which is what the member pays before Medicare begins coverage. For 2025 the Part B deductible is $257 which is what the member will pay before Medicare begins to pay. These numbers work because CMS has had vast experience in working with this specific demographic.

3. If Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement will be made available how do they price it? It's not as easy as you think. Carriers do not like to get swamped, it messes with the numbers the actuaries came up with in determining how much to charge for a plan based on potential utilization. In 2011, United Healthcare thought they hit a home run. They came up with an Open Access Point of Service plan with a $0 premium. The year United came out with that plan, I was United's agent at the Ocean County Mall for that years Annual Election Period. They never expected what happened next. The people flocked to United. United Healthcare was offering an AARP cross-branded product that had both in and out of network benefits, no referrals needed and a $0 monthly premium. It was the greatest thing since sliced bread and the line for this product ran halfway down the mall, it was incredible. United loved it until they realized they were getting killed by utilization costs and had to withdraw the plan after the first year. Medicare for All would have the same fate. Medicare Supplement which is already expensive would not fare much better especially if the government mandated a guaranteed issue option on their plans. A guaranteed issue on Plan G would bankrupt the carriers.

Bottom line, Medicare works because it is a tightly choreographed program with specific costs for the end user that were calculated by many years of experience. Expanding that program would destroy those numbers and either make Medicare For All a bankrupt program or so costly no one would be able to afford it.

As health insurance premiums keep rising, Colorado lawmakers are advancing a bill to look at a universal Medicare for All option. A 2020 report in the Annals of Internal Medicine finds administrative costs for private insurance, and the time doctors spend on billing paperwork, make up over one-third...

09/18/2024

09/05/2024

Here is more information on the 2025 changes to Part D (Prescription Drug benefits). If you are waiving Medicare to stay on your employer based plan, you may have an issue you have to deal with in that your employer based plan may not meet Medicare Minimum Standards meaning if you do not go on Medicare and go 63 days without "Credible Coverage" you will be assessed a Part D Penalty which is 1% of the National Premium Average per month uncovered. This is a penalty that never goes away and lasts you your entire lifetime.
We can help you prevent being assessed that penalty, drop us a message or give us a call and we would be delighted to go over your plans to ensure you maintain credible coverage.

Under the IRA, the definition of creditable prescription coverage changed, and some employer-offered plans no longer count.

09/02/2024

Quick chat about 2025 Medicare changes and announcing the opening of our Buena Vista Virginia office

08/02/2024

While carriers are slow to reveal their 2025 First Looks, it is clear that CMS is aiming people towards MAPD plans going forward. They have set up the Part D rules to favor the MAPD framework. If you have any questions about 2025 plan offerings let me know. While I have to be vague now...on October 1, I can provide all the info you will need to make an informed choice.

Changes to the Medicare Part D benefit in the Inflation Reduction Act will mean lower out-of-pocket costs for Part D enrollees but higher costs for Part D plans overall, leading to concerns about possible premium increases. These FAQs provide context for understanding Part D premiums in 2025 and cha...