About Jerry Ballard & Associates

“First, foremost, and always, our main focus is to identify the true needs of our clients and fill those needs with the best North Carolina health insurance (BCBSNC®) products on the market and the best customer service in the industry.” - Jerry Ballard, Owner, Jerry Ballard & Associates. Jerry resides in Morehead City with his wife, Cathy and their golden retriever, Alli. Jerry is now an Exclusive Agent with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina® (BCBSNC®) selling individual and group health insurance. Due to increasing demand, his focus has become individual health insurance with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina® (BCBSNC®), known for their Blue Advantage® products. When Jerry brought his NC health insurance business to the Internet, he worked hard to create a user friendly website that was easy to understand and navigate. His goal was to make his website “a close second” to meeting his clients in person. His website, www.nchealthplans.com also offers an array of other products, such as life insurance from multiple carriers, short term health insurance and dental insurance as well as Medicare Supplement and Medicare Advantage. Jerry has been the Number One producer in individual sales in the State of NC for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina® and has led the company for the past 6 years: 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009, and qualified for President’s Club Top Agency for the year 2007 and President's Club for 2008 and is on schedule for 2009. He also licensed in 13 other states throughout the US. During his personal time, he is an avid fisherman and sportsman. He has fished in the SKA circuit and has won 6 major tournaments, including the prestigous Atlantic Beach Hardees King Mackeral Tournament. When he isn’t fishing, he enjoys cruising the coastal waters of North Carolina with his wife and golden retriever in his Gibson Houseboat, the Alli-Walker.

Cathy Ballard, Jerry’s wife, joined the agency in 1999 focusing primarily on customer service and became licensed as a producer in 2007, also specializing in individual products including Blue Advantage® through Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina®. Having been in sales for only one year, Cathy ranked 11th among all individual agents in the State of North Carolina for individual sales with BCBSNC for 2008; and ranked 9th among all individual agents for 2009.  Cathy also manages the day to day operation of the agency, including troubleshooting and website development. Prior to joining the insurance agency, Cathy worked in the legal field, assisting in various areas of residential and commercial real estate development, environmental and corporate law. In her spare time she enjoys reading, traveling and all aspects of their boating lifestyle.

Amanda Morrow is the customer service representative for Jerry Ballard and Associates. She resides in Morehead City, NC with her husband and 2 sons. Amanda is responsible for communicating with the applicants and enrolled clients of Jerry and Cathy. She informs applicants of their application status, assists them with the application process, and continues to support them once enrolled. Customer service is just a phone call away for your Blue Advantage, Blue Options HSA^(sm), Dental Blue^®, and other health insurance needs. In her spare time, Amanda enjoys boating, reading, and taking trips to the mountains. After attending UNC-CH and ECU, Amanda received her Bachelor of Science degree in 1998. She taught elementary school for several years before entering the medical and health world. Amanda was a pharmaceutical sales representative for AstraZeneca and St. Jude Medical. She began working for Jerry and Cathy Ballard in 2007. Amanda looks forward to working with each and every one of our clients.

Jerry began his career in the health insurance industry in 1974. Throughout the years, he has written health insurance in NC through many different companies. After many years of doing business with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina® he determined they provided the best coverage, service and value than any of his previous carriers, which is why he elected to become an Exclusive Agent for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina® (BCBSNC®). In February of 2000, Jerry shifted his business model to an Online Internet Based Company. He has worked throughout the past eight (8) years training and experimenting with every aspect of an Online Company. As you may realize, the standard business model of a 9-5 platform quickly diminished as the need for a more fluctuating schedule became apparent. Our agency prides itself on helping individuals with their insurance needs, after they get off work and have time to focus on these issues. Once their needs have been identified and an application has been submitted, they are on their way to acquiring the best possible health insurance coverage in North Carolina for themselves, their spouse and their children. Our agency couples outstanding individual customer service with the technological sophistication that allows customers the best of both worlds – quick and accurate information via our website at www.nchealthplans.com and ready access via our toll free number 888-765-5400 to a knowledgeable agent. In spite of his 34 years in the health insurance business and his many professional accomplishments and industry awards, Jerry is a modest man who never loses sight of what is really important – taking care of his clients. You will be surprised how quickly and easily you can find and price the best North Carolina health plan for you and your family as well as getting all your questions answered, without leaving your home or office, just by contacting Jerry Ballard and his trained and experienced staff. We have additional links on our blog which can provide additional information about our products, plan description, benefits, claims, health conditions all offered through Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina® (BCBSNC®). We take tremendous pride in offering the best possible service to all our clients. We look forward to the opportunity to work with you in any of your insurance needs. When all is said and done, nothing speaks louder about Jerry Ballard and Associates than these statistics:

• 80-90% of our clients refer family members and friends to us
• 90% of our clients stay with us year after year