Mike Howard
Director of Insurance Operations & Licensed Medicare Advisor
Meet Mike
Mike Howard is the Director of Insurance Operations and a Licensed Medicare Advisor at The Pocket Protector. He came to Medicare in 2019 the way he thinks everyone in this industry should: by answering the phones. Starting in member services, he spent nearly seven years working every side of the business — helping members one call at a time, then coordinating care, then moving through operations, marketing, and finally product management, where he helped shape the tools beneficiaries actually use to pick their coverage.
That path matters to how he advises. Someone who has heard a thousand member calls and also built the products behind them knows exactly where plans confuse people, where the fine print bites, and which questions nobody thinks to ask until it's too late. His expertise covers Medicare rules and regulations, Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement, prescription drug plans, and the Medicaid and assistance programs many beneficiaries never hear about.
His rule is the one he'd want applied to his own family, because that's exactly how he treats it: every client gets the advice he'd give his parents, no exceptions, whether or not it earns him anything. If the best plan for your situation is one he can't sell you, he'll tell you that too.
Mike lives in Chicago with his partner and their two cats. Away from work you'll find him camping, fishing, or at a White Sox game — and generally as close to the water or the woods as he can manage.
Areas of Specialization
How Mike Works With Clients
Member Services, 2019
He Learned Medicare One Call at a Time
Mike came into Medicare by answering the phones — the way he thinks everyone in this industry should. Years in member services and care coordination meant hearing, over and over, exactly where coverage breaks down for real people. That's not something you pick up from a plan brochure, and it's the first thing clients notice about how he explains things.
Operations, Marketing & Product
He Knows Where the Fine Print Bites
After member services, Mike moved through operations, marketing, and product management, where he helped shape the tools beneficiaries use to pick their coverage. Someone who has both taken the calls and built the products knows where plans confuse people — and which questions nobody thinks to ask until it's too late.
Medicaid, Extra Help & Assistance
Help Most Beneficiaries Are Never Told About
Extra Help (LIS), Medicare Savings Programs, Medicaid transitions after a life event — these are the programs that quietly save people thousands, and the ones most beneficiaries never hear about. Mike checks for them as a matter of course, not as an afterthought, because a plan recommendation is incomplete without them.
Every Client, No Exceptions
The Advice He'd Give His Own Parents
Every client gets the advice Mike would give his own family — no exceptions, whether or not it earns him anything. If the best plan for your situation is one he can't sell you, he'll say so. If you're already in the right plan, he'll tell you to stay put.
Licensed States
Licensed in 33 states
Carrier Experience
Mike has experience working with many carriers, including but not limited to Humana, UHC, Wellcare, Aetna, Healthspring, Devoted and more.
License Verification
National Producer Number (NPN)
19331426
Education & Credentials
- B.S. Water, Wetlands & Marine Resources Management — University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point, 2012
- B.A. Sociology — University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, 2007
- Director of Insurance Operations — The Pocket Protector
Ready for a Smarter Medicare Plan?
Get a free, no-pressure plan review from Mike. No spam, no call centers — just straight guidance from an advisor who has worked every side of Medicare and gives every client the advice he'd give his own family.
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