Blue Cross saw an increase of 15% in individual policy requests over the past eight months
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida has declared that it is preparing a major expansion of five to eight new stores around the state, including several in South Florida – reported in Miami Herald.
Blue Cross and many other insurers are pushing hard on individual health plans, the type sold in the stores, because the recession has caused many to lose employer-based group coverage.
Aetna reports that individual plan sales are up 22% in Florida for the first six months of 2009. Blue Cross saw an increase of 15% in individual policy requests over the past eight months.
Doug Bartel, Blue Cross spokesman, said: ”Health insurance is complicated and we know it. Some people like face-to-face interactions, and that’s what we’re providing.”