A real-life insurance superstore is opening in Flushing, Queens this week and it’s catching a lot of interest.  UnitedHealthcare is taking a unique approach to helping residents find a wide variety of insurance products including 15 types of state and federal social service programs.  According to the article “UnitedHealthcare Opens ‘Supestore’ in Flushing by Barbara Benson on CrainsNewYork.com, some plans available include the Elderly Pharmaceutical Insurance Coverage program, Medicare Savings Program, New York State Food Stamps program, and heat and electric subsidies.

The store is being held in a 16,000 square foot area and is filled with trained staff to answer questions with multiple languages represented.  They are educated on health care benefits and can assist in resolving claims issues.  The store is aiming to assist Flushing’s many Asian-American residents.  This is being called the nation’s very first comprehensive health benefits store and has computers and iPads available for visitors to use.  They can obtain health information, print it, and take it home with them.

Another perk to the insurance superstore is a health kiosk available for visitors.  This health screening measures blood pressure, pulse and body mass index.  UnitedHealthcare is also hosting ongoing education seminars on a variety of topics such as nutrition, financial planning, exercise, and disease management.  Gail Boudreaux, CEO of UnitedHealthcare, believes that health care coverage is a local resource and some people are simply not ready to play a greater role in managing their health.  This store aims to give this help while steering individuals in the right direction towards quality health insurance coverage.

Written by Sam Tabes

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