BEC Orientation Series: Expanding your Reach

Allyson comes to NCOA from Evolent Health Care, where she worked as a Customer Care Coordinator. While there she was responsible for handling customer service requests, communicating with physician’s offices to verify authorization information, developing relationships with provider groups, and making triage decisions not requiring clinical judgement. Allyson also worked as a Senior Care Coordinator and a Senior Customer Service Advisor for CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield, a Care Coordinator for AmeriHealth Caritas, and a Case Specialist for INTotal Health. Allyson brings a wealth of practical knowledge about benefits and has experience implementing regulations/policies in the insurance industry, as well as experience working with Medicaid offices in DC and Virginia.

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Jen Teague is the Director for Health Coverage and Benefits at NCOA. She has over 15 years of experience working on behalf of older adults and their families. Jen’s previous roles have included working with the North Carolina Division of Aging and Adult Services, overseeing adult protective services and managing local non-profit organizations.  She has significant experience working with community-based organization (CBO) committees, taskforces, and providing education, information and resources to older adults, key stakeholders, and elected officials. Jen states her passion is ensuring that older adults can access services and supports that allow them to age with dignity and choice. Jen has a Masters degree in Community Counseling and a Bachelors degree in Sociology both from Appalachian State University.

A former professional cameraman for film and television, David left his 10-year career to focus on public health, specifically interested in addressing food systems and nutrition access. While volunteering for local non-profit End Hunger Durham, during the early months of the COVID19 pandemic, David was introduced to the nutritional needs and vulnerabilities of the senior community. David currently works as a Senior Program Coordinator for the Duke Benefits Enrollment Center, addressing the intersectional needs of Medicare populations in North Carolina’s Triangle region. David works within Duke School of Medicine’s Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, and coordinates on additional community-based projects addressing Health Related Social Needs.

Treva Warrick, Care Coordinator with SeniorAge Area Agency on Aging, has 32 year's experience working with seniors in rural Missouri. Residing in south central Missouri in Ozark County, where she grew up. She started volunteering for SeniorAge in 1992 preparing income tax returns with the Tax Counseling for the Elderly program and was hired in 1995 to work with a grant focusing on enrolling seniors in benefits. The grant work soon expanded from the original one county to cover other adjoining counties. In addition to Care Coordinator, she is also a Medicare counselor with Missouri SHIP, Navigator for Marketplace insurance, Options Counselor, BEC Project Director and continues to work as a Tax Counselor for the Elderly. .

Simona Combi managed media relations for several nonprofit research and advocacy organizations, including the Center for Global Policy Solutions and the Urban Institute. Most recently, she worked for IQ Solutions—a NIH contractor—to support the National Institute on Drug Abuse’s press team. She brings experience generating national media coverage and preparing national level spokespeople for interviews.