In an interesting retail turn of events, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida announced they will start selling health insurance through retail storefronts — much like how cell phone companies currently sell coverage plans.
The storefronts will open up to eight retail stores in the state, including the Miami-Dade area, reported the Miami Herald.
“Health insurance is complicated and we know it. Some people like face-to-face interactions, and that’s what we’re providing, ” Doug Bartel, spokesperson for BCBS of Florida.
One of the biggest reasons for the move is that many small companies, in Miami in particular, don’t offer employer-sponsored group health insurance, so there are a lot of residents looking for affordable Florida health insurance.
Bartel also said that BCBS of Florida wants to make sure they offer plenty of alternatives to getting information about health insurance.
One Florida resident said they liked using the Internet, but would rather have a one-on-one experience when it comes to purchasing a policy.
It makes sense that people want some kind of advice when purchasing something as important as health insurance. Still, this effort seems like it’s going to be a lot of overhead for the insurer.