Retail stores connect insurer, customers

ONE-STOP SHOP FOR HEALTH: Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island subscriber Judy Uth, left, of West Warwick, speaks with Karen Pacheco, retail district manager of the Your Blue Store in Warwick, as a Zumba class takes place in the background. / PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO
ONE-STOP SHOP FOR HEALTH: Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island subscriber Judy Uth, left, of West Warwick, speaks with Karen Pacheco, retail district manager of the Your Blue Store in Warwick, as a Zumba class takes place in the background. / PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

In 2013 Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island opened its first Your Blue Store, a pop-up retail store in Warwick offering in-person customer service to suit the needs of those seeking or using individual and family insurance plans.

According to Corey McCarty, vice president of the consumer segment at Blue Cross, 25 percent of current customers purchase individual or family plans, rather than group coverage, and this number is expected to almost double by 2018.

McCarty, who has been with the company since 1999, helps facilitate and strengthen communication between the company and its customers. In 2013, she was part of the team that developed and implemented the Warwick store.

Fast-forward three years, and Your Blue Store locations have also opened in Bristol and Lincoln.

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“In a consumer-driven world, we want to meet customers where they are, and provide them with options [for] how they interact with us. … Our retail locations allow us to serve members in a way that is more convenient for them,” she said.

In addition to having their questions and concerns answered in English or Spanish, as well as Portuguese at the Bristol location, members can enroll in free workout or nutrition classes, visit with an on-site nurse and attend seminars about health and dental insurance.

“These local stores play a key role in Blue Cross’ strategy to not only make health care affordable and simple for Rhode Islanders, but to partner with our members in leading the healthiest possible lives,” said McCarty.

Since its grand opening in October 2013, the Warwick location, at Cowesett Corners, has seen more than 26,500 customers.

“The overwhelming popularity of the Warwick location led to a permanent store within six months, followed by our expansion to Bristol in 2014 and Lincoln in 2015,” said McCarty.

In total, Blue Cross reported 9,214 customer visits to Your Blue stores in its 2014 annual report. By 2015, according to the most recent report, that figure had more than doubled to 23,961 customer visits.

“Though initially a temporary experiment, the retail stores have exceeded our expectations,” added McCarty.

The benefits offered to members at the Warwick store have drastically improved the health and well-being of West Warwick resident Judy Uth.

A “regular,” Uth attends the yoga and Zumba classes, consults a nutritionist and, this month, will add a hula-hooping class to her schedule.

In January 2015, Uth suffered a heart attack. In the following weeks her doctor advised her to walk every day, as a form of steady exercise.

When she saw a news report that the Your Blue Store offered Zumba and yoga classes, “I got excited,” she said.

The free classes have helped Uth recover from her heart attack and lead a more active lifestyle.

“So far, these classes are really working for me. When I went to visit my daughter someone in her building said to me, ‘Judy, what have you been doing? You’ve lost weight!’ It must be the Zumba,” she said. “My doctor even said, ‘It’s about time insurance companies smartened up.’ ”

Not only has the Blue Cross store provided Uth with healthy alternatives, but it’s considerably lowered the costs of some of her regular medical costs.

Uth gets her weekly bloodwork done at the Warwick Your Blue Store. She used to pay $13 to $16, twice a week for that. “You can imagine how fast that added up. Now it’s $2.50 with Blue Cross,” she explained.

Karen Pacheco, retail district manager for Your Blue stores, says she witnesses similar customer satisfaction on a daily basis.

No two days are alike for Pacheco. During the busy season, October through January, the open-enrollment period, she estimates 70-100 customers come into the store each day. While this pace slows to 30 or 40 customers per day the rest of the year, the focus remains on providing the best care, she said.

“We’ve received excellent feedback: 96 percent of customers say they would recommend the store to family and friends,” said Pacheco. That includes customers who will visit the store at a certain time of day in order to interact with a specific employee.

“Health insurance is complex,” she explained and, for some customers, the personal touch really makes a difference.

“There are many folks who don’t want to shop for a plan via the Internet or over the phone, particularly seniors,” she said. “The option to sit down with a member of our retail team helps to reduce some of the stress and allows them to make better, more informed decisions about plans and services.

“Since opening the first pop-up location three years ago, we have seen tremendous success,” she continued. “The exceedingly positive feedback has reinforced that this is an important channel to reach our members.” •

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