7 months
Medicare Turning 65
Your Initial Enrollment Period starts 3 months before the month you turn 65 and ends 3 months after it.
Independent · Jacksonville, FL · Licensed in 15 states Insurance made clear,
Insurance made clear,
protection made personal.
From Medicare and ACA health plans to life insurance, annuities and business coverage — clear, education-first guidance from a licensed independent agency. Securing what matters, one family at a time.
Trusted by Jacksonville families & businesses Serving Florida since 2017
2017 Serving Florida since
15 States licensed
10+ Top carriers represented
$0 Cost for your first consult
Trusted carriers we represent
HumanaFlorida BlueUnitedHealthcareAetnaCignaWellcareDevoted HealthSimply HealthcareSolis Health PlansGold Kidney
What we do
Coverage for every stage of life
One independent agency for your health, your family and your business — each option explained in plain language.
01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08
Medicare Plans
Advantage, Supplements (Medigap) and Part D — with a free assessment and a yearly plan check-up.
ACA / Marketplace Health
Individual and family Marketplace plans — we check every subsidy you qualify for and handle enrollment.
Life Insurance
Term and whole life, right-sized to your income, mortgage and family goals — across multiple carriers.
Final Expense
Affordable whole-life coverage that spares loved ones the burden of funeral and end-of-life costs.
Supplemental & Ancillary
Dental, vision & hearing, hospital indemnity, short-term medical, disability and long-term care.
Indexed Universal Life
Lifelong protection that also builds tax-advantaged cash value, with a floor against market losses.
Annuities
Turn a portion of your savings into guaranteed, predictable income you can’t outlive.
Group Benefits, P&C & Notary
Employee benefits for small businesses, property & casualty guidance and on-site notary services.
Who we help
Guidance tailored to your moment
Wherever you are, there’s a clear next step — and someone to walk it with you.
Turning 65
New to Medicare? We walk you through Advantage, Medigap and Part D before your enrollment window closes.
Under-65 & families
ACA Marketplace health, life insurance and final expense for growing households — subsidies checked.
Business owners
Group and employee benefits, plus property & casualty and notary — for you and your team, under one roof.
Retirees & savers
Annuities and indexed universal life that turn savings into income you can’t outlive.
Why families choose us
- 10+ carriers comparedIndependent, not captive — no single-company sales quota
- Licensed in 15 statesNPN 7697663 · FL license E072882
- Jacksonville officeReach someone who knows your file — never a call center
- $0 to talk to usFirst consultation and yearly check-up cost you nothing
1-on-1Real people, real conversations — never a call center
Why McDowell Business Resources
Education first, sales pressure never
We started in 2017 with one belief: people make better decisions when someone takes the time to teach, not sell. That still shapes everything we do.
- Independent & unbiased. We compare 10+ top carriers to fit you — not a sales quota.
- Real people answer. Call our Jacksonville office and reach someone who knows your file.
- We stay with you. Yearly reviews keep your coverage right as life changes.
2017Serving FL since
15States licensed
10+Carriers
$0First consult
Sandra McDowellOwner, President & CEO About McDowell Business Resources
Meet the agent behind MBR
McDowell Business Resources is led by Sandra McDowell — with more than 20 years in life and health insurance and 19 years in corporate banking and community organizing.
We’re an independent, education-first agency in Jacksonville. We compare options across the carriers we represent, explain the fine print in plain language, and stay with you long after the paperwork is signed. Your first consultation is always free.
- Independent, not captive. We work for you, not one insurance company.
- Licensed in 15 states. Based in Jacksonville, serving Florida and beyond.
- Educators, not just agents. “Each one teaches one” — it’s how we work.
Where we work
Five counties, five different realities
We sit in Jacksonville, but coverage isn’t the same one county over. Here is how many of your neighbours are going without it.
Jacksonville
Duval County
11.5%112,908 residents with no health coverage — more people than Nassau County has residents.
Duval coverage Orange ParkClay County
8.2%17,919 residents uninsured, and 10 carriers competing for the county’s Medicare business.
Clay coverage St. AugustineSt. Johns County
6.4%The best-covered county we serve — 18,668 uninsured, and the fewest carriers to choose between.
St. Johns coverage Fernandina BeachNassau County
7.5%7,030 uninsured, the oldest median age of the five, and the thinnest Medicare plan market.
Nassau coverage Fort LauderdaleBroward County
13.3%256,243 uninsured — the highest rate of the five, and the deepest Medicare market.
Broward coverageUninsured shares and counts: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 5-year estimates, table S2701, civilian noninstitutionalized population. Carrier and plan-market counts: CMS CY2026 Medicare Advantage / Part D Landscape Source Files, 2026 plan year. We’re also licensed across Florida, Georgia, Texas and eleven more states.
How it works
Four steps to peace of mind
STEP 01
Reach out
Call or request a free consultation. Tell us where you are and what’s on your mind.
STEP 02
We educate
We explain your options in plain language — the pros, the cons and the fine print — until it clicks.
STEP 03
We build your plan
A plan tailored to your goals and budget — then we handle the paperwork with you, start to finish.
STEP 04
We stay with you
Life changes and so do plans. We review yours every year to make sure it still fits.
The 2026 plan year, in numbers
The premium isn’t the number that decides it
Four in five Medicare Advantage plans around Jacksonville cost $0 a month. That’s the norm, not a bargain — which is why we shop on your doctors, your prescriptions and your worst-case year instead.
$202.90Standard monthly Medicare Part B premium — up $17.90 from $185.00.2026 plan year · CMS
$2,100What you can pay out of pocket for covered Part D drugs before you pay $0.CY2026 · CMS
80%Share of Duval County Medicare Advantage drug plans with a $0 monthly premium — 28 of 35.2026 plan year · CMS landscape file
0 of 10Stand-alone Florida Part D plans that earned four stars or better. The whole market runs 2.0 to 3.5.2026 plan year · CMS landscape file
Part B premium and the $17.90 increase: CMS, 2026 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles, 2026 plan year. Part D out-of-pocket threshold: CMS, Final CY2026 Part D Redesign Program Instructions, CY2026. Plan counts, $0-premium shares, star ratings and in-network maximum out-of-pocket figures: CMS CY2026 Medicare Advantage / Part D Landscape Source Files, 2026 plan year, retrieved via the Ambrose Insurance Brain in July 2026. We do not offer every plan available in your area; to review all of your options, contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE, or call Florida’s SHINE program free on 1-800-963-5337.
Licensed & trusted
Straight answers from a licensed independent agency
No pressure, no jargon — just clear guidance from people who answer their own phone.
Licensed & independent
McDowell Business Resources LLC · NPN 7697663 · FL license E072882. Licensed in 15 states.
Education first
We explain the pros, cons and fine print in plain language until it clicks — then you decide.
Real people, local office
Call our Jacksonville office and reach someone who knows your file — never a call center.
No cost to you
Your first consultation and yearly plan check-up are free — we’re paid by the carriers, not you.
Already a client? Share your experience
Dates that actually matter
Which window are you in?
Most of the pressure in insurance mail is manufactured. These are the windows that are real, and missing one of them is what actually costs you.
6 months
Medicare Medigap open enrollment
Starts the first day of the month you’re 65 or older and enrolled in Part B. After it, there’s no federal guarantee any company will sell you a policy.
Oct 15 – Dec 7
Medicare Medicare Annual Enrollment
Change your Medicare plan for the following year. Coverage starts 1 January, and the plan has to receive your request by 7 December.
Jan 1 – Mar 31
Medicare Medicare Advantage open enrollment
Already in an Advantage plan? Switch to another one, or drop it and go back to Original Medicare.
Jan 1 – Mar 31
Medicare General Enrollment
For anyone who missed their first window. Coverage begins the month after you sign up — and a late Part B penalty may already apply.
Nov 1 – Dec 15
ACA Marketplace ACA Marketplace, from 2027
CMS shortened the HealthCare.gov window to 1 November – 15 December beginning with the 2027 plan year.
Initial, General, Annual and Medicare Advantage enrollment periods, and the Medigap open enrollment rule: Medicare.gov, current rules as published July 2026. The 2027 ACA window: CMS, 2025 Marketplace Integrity and Affordability Final Rule, plan year 2027 onward. HealthCare.gov’s consumer calendar still showed the older 1 November – 15 January window with no plan year attached when we checked on 31 July 2026; the final rule is the binding regulation, so confirm the posted dates on HealthCare.gov before you rely on them. Free, unbiased counselling is available from Florida’s SHINE program on 1-800-963-5337, or from 1-800-MEDICARE.
Good questions
Answers before you commit
No. Your first consultation — including a Medicare assessment — is completely free with no obligation. We’d rather you feel informed than pressured.
Yes. If you’re under 65 and need health coverage, we shop the ACA Marketplace for you, check every subsidy you qualify for, and match you to a plan during Open Enrollment or a qualifying Special Enrollment Period.
Our guidance is provided at no direct cost to you. As an independent agency, we’re compensated by the carriers when you enroll — which keeps our advice focused on the right fit for your needs.
Most people can review and change coverage during the Annual Enrollment Period each fall (Oct 15 – Dec 7), and some qualify for Special Enrollment Periods after certain life events. We’ll help you understand which windows apply to you.
We’re based in Jacksonville and work across Duval, Clay, St. Johns, Nassau and Broward counties — and we’re licensed in 15 states including Florida, Georgia and Texas, so we can help clients well beyond the First Coast.
Whatever is comfortable for you. We’re happy to meet face-to-face at our Jacksonville office, talk over the phone, or connect virtually — you choose.
Learn the basics
Insurance, explained simply
Plain-language guides to help you make confident decisions.
Medicare
Medicare Advantage vs. Supplement — which fits you?
The real trade-offs between Advantage and Medigap, and how to choose based on your doctors, prescriptions and budget.
Health
Do you qualify for an ACA subsidy?
How premium tax credits and cost-sharing subsidies work — and what income levels typically qualify in Florida.
Life
Final expense vs. term life: the basics
What final expense insurance covers, who it’s right for, and how it differs from a traditional term policy.
Stay connected