When most people gather around the water cooler or coffee machine and talk with co-workers about Latrell Sprewell, LeBron James and Shaquille O’Neal, it’s usually to compare notes on a pro basketball game in which they played the night before. For Matt Taylor, however, those names take on a much different significance. Less than two years ago, they practically were his co-workers.

Last August, Taylor, left the northeast to arrive in South Florida just in time for the state’s record-breaking hurricane season. The Long Island native was hired by Humana, Inc. to build South Florida’s market research program where he began to parlay five years of sports marketing research into the managed health care industry. Humana, Florida’s most extensive provider of Medicare Advantage plans is part of Humana, Inc., which provides health and medical insurance coverage to about seven million people in more than 25 states and Puerto Rico. Over its 44-year history, the company has consistently explored new and innovative ways to address consumer health care needs – becoming a nationally recognized health insurance leader in the process.

Taylor is responsible for leading Medicare beneficiary focus group activities, analyzing member migration patterns, and building and implementing consumer-driven sales and retention programs for Humana’s Medicare membership. Currently, Humana insures more than 180,000 Medicare beneficiaries throughout Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties and recently expanded Humana’s Medicare Advantage PPO plans into the Treasure and Southwest coast.

Before joining the NBA, Taylor -- who holds a B.S. degree in marketing from the University of Maryland -- worked at Nielsen Media Research and Turner Sports. After six months at Humana, he says he’s very happy with his decision to join the organization. "It’s a very professional environment that definitely exceeds my expectations, with a pace similar to that of New York. It’s also a big change from what I was doing. When I was at the NBA, I was involved in tracking television ratings, and this is very different. However, in this country, everyone considers health care a huge issue, and I view this as a real opportunity for me to help make a difference in people’s lives."

At the time of Taylor’s appointment, Humana Florida Senior Products CEO Michael A. Seltzer underscored the role consumerism would continue to play in the company’s strategy, and that Taylor’s expertise would be vital to helping the company better evaluate and monitor how seniors make purchasing decisions.

As with his previous positions, Taylor’s role at Humana is primarily centered on market research. "I’m beginning to gain a solid understanding of Medicare consumers’ health care needs and senior demographics," he says. "Also, I believe I can apply the research tools I use to any industry."

One thing he’s learned already is that seniors are super-savvy when it comes to their roles as health care consumers. "They know what they need and they know what they want, so for us, it’s a matter of meeting their health care expectations. We conduct surveys and other grassroots initiatives that give them the opportunity to tell us what they want."

Recently, Taylor and his team visited Jacksonville, where they set up shop at a senior expo. For him, it’s a great way to capture the pulse of the public, especially when you consider the tremendous flow of traffic through such an event. By interacting with such a large sample of seniors, Taylor was able to gain valuable insight into his target demographic.

"We gained valuable information," he says. "We were able to talk with them one-on-one and ask them what they perceive as the most important benefits they can receive. This helps us directly address their needs. It also helps us gain an advantage over our competition."

Interviewing seniors in a variety of regions around south Florida also helps Taylor identity differences – ethnic and economic, for example -- that exist from market to market. In some areas, seniors are very involved in their own decision-making. In others, they may rely more heavily on family members or physicians to do it for them. In moving forward, Taylor plans to continue asking questions, listening, and responding with valuable information to assist in the creation of products and services that meet the needs of the senior population served by Humana.

As he becomes a part of the Humana fabric, Taylor is also becoming part of his new south Florida surroundings. He, his wife, Miki, and Ollie, their four-month-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy, live in Broward County. Matt and Miki enjoy spending time with friends and family members and exploring some of the great ethnic restaurants the area has to offer.