Blue Shield Opens First Retail Health Insurance Store in California
If you want to get an American enraged, get them talking about health insurance. Whether they have or they don’t, they tend to have a story somewhere in there, often not buried very far, about some kind of insurance situation gone awry or another.
As health care becomes more and more a political battling point, Blue Shield of California is looking to try and help make things a little clearer to consumers and has taken the bold step of opening a store in San Francisco to aid that effort.
The non-profit organization isn’t afraid to go bold when it wants to make a point. In 2008 it hosted had an exhibition of 40 nude statues in “vulnerable positions” to showcase the large number of uninsured Californians. It also made headlines last month when it was announced it was returning money to its customers, making good on a pledge "to help policyholders cope with rising healthcare costs by making good on a pledge to return money when its net income exceeds 2% of its revenue."
Now it's reaching out directly to customers (current and potential) with a 500-square-foot store that will open Nov. 7 within a Lucky supermarket store in San Francisco.
According to the insurer, it “will provide a convenient choice for consumers to drop in and get personalized assistance with service issues, discover affordable coverage options, learn about health and wellness, and receive wellness assessments.” The target audience for the store is both current Blue Shield members seeking wellness information and service and information on their plans and claims, as well as prospective members shopping for health plans or seeking health education.
Why would Blue Shield choose to go with a bricks-and-mortar presence when so many brands are going digital-only? "Customers increasingly expect to have their questions about their health and health coverage answered right away. We currently serve customers by phone and online. Our retail store makes it convenient for members to drop in, get health and wellness information, and resolve service issues close to where they live, work and shop." (Beats calling customer service, right?
South Carolina Health Insurance Wellness Mandate - News
According to the insurer, "Retail health insurance stores are relatively new, with only a few plans — including Highmark in Pennsylvania and Blues plans in Florida and South Carolina — operating stores. No other health plan operates a store in
Similar policies, if approved, are underwritten in New York by a Colonial Life affiliate, The Paul Revere Life Insurance Company, Worcester, Mass. Colonial Life is based in Columbia, SC, and is a subsidiary of Unum Group, one of the world's leading
In Jasper County, 43.6 percent of working families lack health insurance. In Beaufort County, 33.8 percent of working families lack health insurance. Our mission is to understand and serve the health and wellness needs of the medically under-served who
The Company provides full-service benefits and wellness solutions, offering an array of health, pharmacy and supplemental benefit products for employer groups, Government benefit programs, and individuals, as well as primary and workplace care,
Similar policies, if approved, are underwritten in New York by a Colonial Life affiliate, The Paul Revere Life Insurance Company, Worcester, Mass. Colonial Life is based in Columbia, SC, and is a subsidiary of Unum Group, one of the world's leading