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Daughter of Coeymans returns to business community to help others

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By Marlene McTigue

Capital Region Independent Media

Kristine Tracey Lindskoog with her two foster pups and her dog Roxy. Marlene McTigue/Capital Region Independent Media

COEYMANS—A familiar face is returning to the Coeymans business community.

Kristine Tracey Lindskoog, a lifelong resident known to many through her 30-year career in the insurance industry, has opened a new business—KTL Coverage.

For the last decade, Lindskoog has focused on corporate insurance as a broker manager for Aetna and then CDPHP. She believes now is the time for her to return to her roots and start her own local brokerage once again. Last month she took the dive and founded a new agency “KTL Coverage,” which will be based in Alcove.

“I learned so much about how both sides work during those years and it has made me a more informed agent,” said Lindskoog.

Lindskoog grew up in an entrepreneurial family and said seeing firsthand from a young age how business was to be handled set her on her own path toward entrepreneurship.

Tracey Welding on Riverview Drive in Coeymans was founded by her father, Richard Tracey, around 1980 and was a constant presence in her young life.

“When you are 10 and you are told that you have to answer line 2 in the house when it rings ‘Tracey Welding’ and act professional and take a message, you do it,” she said. “That little task taught me so much about customer care.”

That same property that has been Tracey Welding for the last 40-plus years had previously housed part of the Frangella mushroom plant, which was owned by her mother’s family.

Her foray into the insurance business began during her college years when, as she puts it, “my parents informed me that I needed to purchase my insurance.

“I walked into a new agent in town. After he signed me up for an auto policy, he said, hey, ‘Do you want to come work for me?’ and I looked at him and said, ‘I know nothing about insurance.’ And he said, I just need someone to answer the phones and your personality seems to fit what I’m looking for,’ so that’s how it started,” she said.

“At that time, I worked at the local veterinarian down in New Baltimore,” she added. “He asked me what I was making per hour and he topped it by 50 cents an hour and I said OK, here I am!”

And that is how a 30-year career in the insurance industry began. Though her extensive experience covers various aspects of the industry, including property, casualty and health insurance (all of which will be offered though her new agency), her personal experience led her to a specialization in Medicare.

Due to being born with cystic fibrosis, at the age of 35 Lindskoog needed a lifesaving double lung transplant, which she received at Columbia Presbyterian hospital in New York City in 2005.

The surgery was a success but due to the necessary medication needed to support the lung transplant becoming toxic to her body, she then found out she needed a kidney transplant.

Miraculously, Lindskoog’s husband Kyle was found to be a match and was able to supply the kidney she needed.

The recovery was long and difficult.

“When you are on disability, after two years they put you on Medicare and it is complicated,” she said. “I had to learn how to navigate the Medicare experience in my own life.”

This is when she discovered that understanding Medicare can be a full-time job and started specializing.

Never one to back down from a challenge, Lindskoog discovered she found satisfaction and purpose in finding just the right solution for each individual. Through her work, she discovered that what she was doing could significantly improve the lives of others.

“Medicare coverage is an extremely individual insurance,” she said. “Sometimes husbands and wives who live under the same roof will have very different insurance needs (based on their individual health situations). It’s really about navigating the formularies.” 

An insurance formulary is its list of allowed medications and those formularies can vary greatly, explained Lindskoog. With many years of experience in the industry, she has amassed the institutional knowledge that she believes will serve her clients well.

“There’s so much confusion around Medicare and health insurance in general,” she said. “I feel a responsibility to educate and guide people through these important decisions. It’s about giving them peace of mind.”

Lindskoog’s passion for helping others is also evident in her community involvement.

She has served on the board of LifePath, an Albany-based organization that provides support services for seniors. She also recently organized an initiative called the “Totes for Older Folks” campaign where she collected gently used handbags to give to local seniors at Senior Projects of Ravena to “give them a pick-me-up.” 

Lindskoog is also passionate about the growth of the business community she grew up in and she has been a member of the Ravena Coeymans Selkirk Community Business Association since its inception in 2016.

And Lindskoog’s compassion extends beyond the human realm.

In her spare time, she fosters puppies through the “Paws for Love of Labs” organization, helping rescue dogs find homes. This compassionate endeavor highlights her dedication to both her community and those in need.

“Rescuing dogs and helping them find loving homes brings a lot of joy to my life,” she noted. “It’s another way I can give back and make a positive impact.”

Lindskoog encourages anyone needing customized insurance solutions to reach out to her at KTL Coverage. Her expertise ensures clients receive the best possible coverage tailored to their specific needs.

“I’m here to help,” she affirmed. “Whether it’s through my work or community involvement, my goal is to support and uplift those around me.”

For more information about Kristine Tracy Lindskoog and her services, you may contact her directly at 518-669-7071.

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