The Mullison family all together at the home for Christmas (left to right): Alex, Betsy, Charlie, Owen (holding his kitten, Charlie) and Jack.

Betsy Mullison has always had a passion for education. She is currently a medical insurance broker, educating senior citizens on Medicare. Prior to this career, Betsy had a hand in the lives of countless little ones: she ran a preschool from her home for 15 years.

Both originally from California, Betsy met her husband, Charlie, in San Francisco, where Betsy grew up and Charlie attended school. She worked for Williams Sonoma and he for Nordstrom. After marrying, they moved to Minneapolis where Charlie worked at the Mall of America. When they decided to return to the western part of the country, they knew California was too expensive. Betsy had an opportunity to open the Williams Sonoma store at Park Meadows Retail Resort, so they landed in Highlands Ranch.

“Minnesota was for Charlie’s job and Colorado was for mine,” Betsy explained. Today, Charlie is a fleet manager at AutoNation Toyota Arapahoe, where he has been for the past 15 years.

With a growing family of two boys, the Mullisons outgrew their home. After getting outbid for four homes in one weekend, they looked a little further afield and found the same floorplan in the Hidden Pointe neighborhood. That was in 2000; they are still here, with the addition of a third son.

Early in her retail career, Betsy loved to teach staff and customers about cookware and home goods, even if she did not benefit financially from the interaction. That ethic is at the core of her life. “I’m passionate about doing what is right even if I don’t get the sale,” Betsy said.

After Betsy closed her preschool seven years ago, she switched gears and became an independent Medicare broker. Her company, Simply Insurance, helps people figure out when and how to enroll in Medicare and all the questions and sometimes confusion about the process. “I love to educate people,” Betsy explained.

Betsy’s approach is to help cut through fearmongering tactics surrounding Medicare. She shared that there are some big changes on the horizon for prescription drug coverage and costs because of the Inflation Reduction Act that will affect 30 million people. Betsy’s advice to anyone with Medicare: read the annual notice of change from your carrier and speak with a broker to make sure you understand how the changes will affect you as well as what your options are.

When not focused on work, the Mullisons have a few hobbies to fill their time. They have a vegetable garden in the backyard and are avid San Francisco 49ers fans. They also love to travel and often take at least a little trip once a month.

The Mullisons stay close as a family, even if not geographically near one another. “We follow the boys; we love to explore where they live,” Betsy explained.

Alex puts his masters of business administration and mechanical and manufacturing engineering degrees to good use at Holloman Air Force base in New Mexico. Jack is moving from New York City to Oakland to start his own independent contractor business. Owen has been studying finance at Northern Arizona University and is interning with Besty, finishing his certification and plans to become an insurance broker in Medicare and work with his mom.

Betsy said that she enjoys seeing her educational efforts come full circle and especially likes hearing from former preschool students. “It’s a pure joy to work with kids, to watch them grow. I love hearing about how they are doing now,” she concluded.

By Celeste McNeil; photo courtesy of Betsy Mullison