Joppel is part of HealthCompare, a division of The Word & Brown Companies, one of the nation’s recognized leaders in developing and offering innovative technology, health benefit plan models, and employee benefits services to companies of all sizes.
John M. Word III
Co-Founder The Word & Brown Companies
John M. Word III transformed the insurance broker’s role in the small group health benefits marketplace through pioneering technological and marketing advances that began in the early 1970s.
A highly sought-after speaker and collaborator, Word has written numerous articles, conducted classes, and delivered keynote addresses to audiences across the nation.
Word’s professional credentials include Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU), Registered Health Underwriter (RHU) and Registered Employee Benefits Consultant (REBC) designations. He has served as President of the California Association of Health Underwriters (CAHU), President of the Orange County Association of Health Underwriters, and Chairman of the National Association of Health Underwriters (NAHU) Leading Producers Roundtable program. Word is a graduate of William Jewel College in Liberty, Mo.
Edward J. “Rusty” Brown, Jr.
Co-Founder The Word & Brown Companies
Edward J. “Rusty” Brown, Jr. is renowned in the insurance industry for establishing and delivering high standards of performance and service, and for improving the ability of health insurance brokers to service their clients’ needs.
Brown began his career in the early 1970s as an agent for the John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Company in upstate New York, where he was the youngest producer to be honored with entry in the 119-year-old company’s President’s Honors Club. In 1980, Brown transferred to the West Coast to assume the role of Sales Manager for Hancock’s Newport Beach, California office.
In 1982, Brown launched his own local General Agency, Innovative Cost Concepts, and subsequently met retail producer John Word. In 1984, the pair created Word & Brown Insurance Administrators, which became the largest independent small group health distributor in the nation by 1986.
Michael L. Close
President, CONEXIS and HealthCompare Insurance Services, Inc.
Michael L. Close leads CONEXIS, the nation’s leading benefits administration company, and HealthCompare, which was launched in 2009 to help individuals and families easily research, compare, buy, and enroll in nearly 200 of the nation’s premier health insurance carriers.
Along the continuum of providing individuals with the tools and information to make informed health care decisions, a natural extension was to assist consumers researching their Medicare choices. In 2010, Close led the expansion of HealthCompare’s offerings by acquiring Joppel.com, a new web site that helps Medicare beneficiaries and those assisting them to evaluate, compare and enroll in private insurance plans participating in the nation’s Medicare program.
Close’s professional background made him uniquely suited to lead the launch of this new enterprise, with an impressive career spanning more than 20 years in employee benefits and health care. He held senior executive positions with Health Net of California, including Vice President/General Manager and Senior Vice President. He also held the position of Chief Sales and Marketing Officer for American Specialty Health.
Michael holds a Bachelor of Arts from Ohio State University and is an active member of the National Association of Health Underwriters (NAHU).