Willamette Valley Benefits
Willamette Valley Benefits is an Oregon-based independent insurance agency that brokers Medicare Advantage, Medicare Part D, individual and family health, dental, vision, hearing, and travel insurance plans to residents, primarily in Oregon, earning commissions from carrier partners.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersMilwaukie, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Willamette Valley Benefits does
Willamette Valley Benefits, LLC is a privately held, Oregon-based independent insurance agency founded around 2007 and headquartered at 6400 SE Lake Road, Suite 210, Milwaukie, Oregon. The firm is licensed and certified to represent Medicare Advantage organizations (HMO, PPO, PFFS) and stand-alone Medicare Part D prescription drug plans, and it distributes individual and family health, dental, vision, hearing, and travel insurance products to Oregon residents. Services are delivered free to consumers through licensed sales representatives reached by phone (503-659-5566, toll-free 1-888-944-4644), email, and in-person office consultations by appointment, with the agency compensated via commissions paid by the insurance carriers whose plans it places.
The business is built around a consultative, referral-driven sales motion rather than a technology platform. Marketing relies on client testimonials, word-of-mouth referrals, and educational website content explaining Medicare Parts A-D, Special Enrollment Periods, preventive services, and Oregon individual/family plan options. The product surface is brokered rather than proprietary: the agency does not underwrite insurance, does not own carrier contracts, and has no disclosed APIs, SDKs, or software products. The roster includes approximately 25+ licensed agents and staff, several of whom carry decades of industry experience (e.g., 40+ years for Margaret Huling, 34 years for Mary Beth Graham, 15 years for Audra Fullan) and credentials such as CLU and Certified Senior Advisor. At least one agent (Amy Scholl) holds multi-state licenses covering Oregon, Idaho, Arizona, Washington, Montana, and Texas.
The revenue model is commission-based: WVB earns carrier commissions on policies placed, with Medicare enrollment season (October-December) corresponding to an extended business-hours operating window (Mon-Fri 8am-5pm in Q4 versus Mon-Thu 8am-4:30pm the rest of the year). The agency has no disclosed outside equity, no parent company, no subsidiaries, no funding rounds, and no M&A activity. Recent activity centers on continuous producer recruitment from 2023 through 2026, diversification into travel insurance via a partnership with International Citizens Group, and a documented leadership transition with Elma Friend's retirement on January 1, 2026.
Willamette Valley Benefits firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Willamette Valley Benefits
- Legal name
- Willamette Valley Benefits, LLC
- Website
- https://wvbenefits.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Willamette Valley Benefits is an Oregon-based independent insurance agency that brokers Medicare Advantage, Medicare Part D, individual and family health, dental, vision, hearing, and travel insurance plans to residents, primarily in Oregon, earning commissions from carrier partners.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Willamette Valley Benefits industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Insurance Brokerage — Medicare and Individual Health
- SIC
- Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)
- akta.pro primary industry
- MA-PD Plans (Medicare Advantage with Prescription Drug Coverage) (FSAIAGAG)
Keywords
Where Willamette Valley Benefits is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Milwaukie
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Willamette Valley Benefits business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Insurance Commissions: Willamette Valley Benefits earns commissions from insurance carriers for placing clients in Medicare Advantage, Part D prescription drug, and individual health insurance plans. The company is described as a licensed and certified representative of Medicare Advantage (HMO, PPO, PFFS) organizations and stand-alone prescription drug plans with Medicare contracts.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels3 records
Willamette Valley Benefits product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Willamette Valley Benefits is a licensed independent insurance agency that helps Oregon consumers select and enroll in Medicare Advantage, Medicare Part D prescription drug, Medigap-style, and individual/family health, dental, vision, hearing, and travel insurance plans. The agency earns commissions from multiple insurance carriers and provides free consultative advisory services via phone, in-person office visits, and an educational website.
Product overview
Willamette Valley Benefits is a local independent Medicare and health insurance agency providing a comprehensive suite of insurance products. The core offerings include Medicare coverage across all four parts: Part A (Hospital Insurance), Part B (Medical Insurance), Part C (Medicare Advantage Plans including HMO, PPO, PFFS options), and Part D (Prescription Drug Coverage). These Medicare products are supplemented with additional insurance products including Health Insurance for individuals and families, Dental Insurance, Vision Insurance, Hearing Insurance, and Travel Insurance. The company operates as an insurance agency/brokerage rather than as a technology platform, connecting clients with various insurance carriers to find plans that meet their healthcare needs and budget.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Medicare Part A Advisory
Companies that use Willamette Valley Benefits
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Willamette Valley Benefits technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Willamette Valley Benefits partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Medicare Advantage Organizations (HMO, PPO, PFFS)coreWillamette Valley Benefits is a licensed and certified representative of Medicare Advantage organizations offering HMO, PPO, and PFFS plans with Medicare contracts. Enrollment depends on contract renewal.
- Medicare Part D Prescription Drug PlanscoreThe agency represents stand-alone prescription drug plans with Medicare contracts for Part D coverage.
- Oregon Insurance CarrierscoreWillamette Valley Benefits works with multiple Oregon insurance carriers offering health insurance for individuals and families, including plans with dental, vision, and hearing benefits.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Willamette Valley Benefits competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- SelectQuote: Senior-focused direct-to-consumer insurance distributor that sells Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement, and other health plans through licensed agents, closely mirroring WVB's core Medicare brokerage model at much larger scale.
- GoHealth: Medicare-focused health insurance marketplace that enrolls beneficiaries in MA, Medicare Supplement, and Part D plans via a national agent network, directly competing with WVB for the same Medicare-eligible customer.
- eHealth: Online health insurance marketplace offering Medicare, individual/family, dental, and vision plans from multiple carriers, with licensed agent support — a scaled digital analog to WVB's multi-carrier brokerage.
- HealthMarkets: National insurance brokerage network that connects consumers with health, Medicare, dental, vision, and life coverage from multiple carriers via a large agent force, comparable in product breadth and agency-distribution model to WVB.
- SmartFinancial: Insurance comparison and lead-generation platform offering health, Medicare, dental, and vision plans, routing shoppers to licensed agents — overlapping WVB's carrier-agnostic agency model with a digital front end.
- Medicare.com: Online Medicare shopping and educational resource that connects beneficiaries with licensed insurance agents for MA, Part D, and Medicare Supplement plans, directly analogous to WVB's agent-led Medicare brokerage.
Emerging players
- The Zebra: Insurance comparison platform that has expanded into health insurance shopping; competes for the same individual and Medicare shoppers as WVB but with a digital-first, less agent-led approach.
Broad incumbents
- Goosehead Insurance: Large independent insurance agency franchisor offering personal lines including health, Medicare, life, and ancillary products through licensed agents, comparable as a multi-product carrier-agnostic distribution model.
Others
- Cover Oregon (Oregon Health Insurance Marketplace): Oregon's state-based health insurance exchange that brokers and agents use to enroll individuals in ACA plans, overlapping WVB's individual/family health insurance distribution in the same Oregon geography.
- Medicare Plan Finder (Medicare.gov): Official federal Medicare plan comparison tool that competes for initial plan-shopping attention from the same Medicare beneficiaries WVB serves, and is explicitly referenced on WVB's site as the alternative direct channel.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Willamette Valley Benefits social profiles
Digital presenceWillamette Valley Benefits financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Willamette Valley Benefits leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Willamette Valley Benefits funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Willamette Valley Benefits M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Willamette Valley Benefits
What does Willamette Valley Benefits do?
Willamette Valley Benefits is a licensed independent insurance agency that helps Oregon consumers select and enroll in Medicare Advantage, Medicare Part D prescription drug, Medigap-style, and individual/family health, dental, vision, hearing, and travel insurance plans. The agency earns commissions from multiple insurance carriers and provides free consultative advisory services via phone, in-person office visits, and an educational website.
Is Willamette Valley Benefits a public or private company?
Willamette Valley Benefits is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Willamette Valley Benefits founded?
Willamette Valley Benefits was founded in 2007. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Willamette Valley Benefits based?
Willamette Valley Benefits is headquartered in Milwaukie, United States, in the North America region.
How does Willamette Valley Benefits make money?
One revenue line is on record: insurance Commissions.
Who are Willamette Valley Benefits's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are SelectQuote, GoHealth, eHealth, HealthMarkets, SmartFinancial and Medicare.com. The Zebra is listed as an emerging player. Goosehead Insurance is listed as a broad incumbent. Others are Cover Oregon (Oregon Health Insurance Marketplace) and Medicare Plan Finder (Medicare.gov).
Does Willamette Valley Benefits have an API?
No public API is recorded for Willamette Valley Benefits.
What industry is Willamette Valley Benefits in?
Willamette Valley Benefits's product category is Insurance Brokerage — Medicare and Individual Health. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAIAGAG, MA-PD Plans (Medicare Advantage with Prescription Drug Coverage). Its SIC code is 6411.