Christina DeGregory spent years peering through a microscope, even going to Kenya to study wildlife. But when a PhD felt like a cage she didn’t want to live in, she followed the same instinct that led her to wildlife research in the first place: the urge to help. Now Christina helps people protect their health in the always-unpredictable experiment of being human.
“I loved the scientific process,” she says. “But this—this lets me use it for people.”
She’s a health agent: the middle person between clients and the insurance company. Most brains would short-circuit from the paperwork and policies, but Christina approaches it like a researcher. Every client is a case study, every conversation a hypothesis in compassion. “Most people end insurance calls feeling lost,” she explains. “I slow everything down so they actually understand what they’re getting.”
She studies clients’ needs the way she once studied cells. Which doctors do they trust? What gaps could threaten their way of living? Which policies cover the most without costing their peace of mind? Then she builds coverage that shields them before trouble strikes, while sparing them the bills that could have broken them. “No one’s happy if they’re sick, and no one’s happy if they’re in debt,” she says. “My job is to minimize both.”
Often that’s with Affordable Care Act insurance: Christina tells me ACA policies cover preventative services at 100 percent, and also cover mental health, physical therapy, and chiropractic care. “When you catch things early, you save money and stress,” she notes. “That’s what I want for people: healthier, happier lives.”
For clients who want extra protection, she offers supplemental policies that pay cash directly if they’re hospitalized. And I’m surprised to find out that for most clients, her help costs nothing: she’s paid by the insurance companies.
What stands out to me about Christina is her compassion. She moves me with a story of a young client who called her from a hospital bed, terrified and sick, to find the coverage that later paid the woman’s family enough to bury her with dignity. “I never want clients to have to use those policies,” she admits. “But if they do, I want them to be okay.”
From a former scientist, I expected precision and knowledge. I didn’t expect her to radiate empathy. But she does. In a world where health feels complicated, Christina makes it human again.
To schedule a free HealthMarkets consult with Christina, call (586) 883-1955.
“No one’s happy if they’re sick or in debt. My job is to minimize both. When you catch things early, you save money and stress. That’s what I want for people: healthier, happier lives.”