For many approaching retirement, Medicare can be an overwhelming subject to tackle. Policies, penalties, deadlines and coverage options can often leave new beneficiaries confused. Monica Treat saw these challenges as opportunities to help clients with their Medicare questions.
For nearly two decades, Treat has built her Sherwood-based Treat Insurance Agency around the mission to make Medicare feel less intimidating and far more personal. As the owner and founder, Treat spends her days changing the narrative that surrounds Medicare.
“People are confused. They’ve never been on Medicare before, and it takes patience and understanding to really meet them where they’re at,” Treat said. “We try to take a step back and think, ‘If I were in their shoes right now, what questions would I have? What anxieties would I have?’”
Treat earned her insurance license at 18, right out of high school, after receiving encouragement from her grandfather, a longtime insurance professional who planned to come out of retirement so the two could open an agency together.
While that plan ultimately changed, the experience introduced Treat to the industry and led to her career.
After working for United American selling supplemental health policies, Treat launched her own agency at age 25. From the beginning, she knew she wanted to be independent rather than tied to a single insurance carrier. That decision, she said, allows her agency to prioritize clients over products.
“If you’re captive to one company, you can only offer what they sell,” Treat said. “Being independent means we can truly look at what’s best for the client. We can compare different carriers and help people find the right fit instead of trying to force one option to work.”
Over time, Treat fully leaned into Medicare, a specialty she says aligns with both her personality and her passion.
“I love the people,” she said. “I love their wisdom, I love where they are in life, and I love helping them through something that can feel really intimidating.”
That client-first approach extends throughout the agency, where Medicare consultations go far beyond simply choosing a plan. Treat and her team walk clients through every piece of the process, from Medicare A and B to prescription drug plans, supplemental coverage and even income-related premium adjustments.
Her goal is simple: Treat aims to eliminate surprises.
“When somebody walks out of here, there are no more questions and no more confusion,” Treat said. “They know exactly what to expect because we’ve gone over everything thoroughly.”
Treat credited much of the agency’s success to both expertise and compassion. Alongside longtime staff members, including a 74-year-old front-desk employee she describes as a “breath of fresh air,” the office emphasizes both warmth and knowledge.
“We love our clients like family,” Treat said. “When somebody comes in stressed or overwhelmed, we want them to leave feeling peace of mind. The thing we hear most is, ‘I was so worried about this process, and you made it so easy.’ That means everything to us.”
For Treat, insurance has never been about policies or paperwork alone. It is about relationships and helping people feel cared for during life’s major transitions.
“Customer service isn’t what it used to be in a lot of places,” Treat said, “but here, we still believe in treating people like family.”
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