Florida Market Leader Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida Opens Retail Stores and Offers Health Plan Cards and Narrow Network Plan to Increase Miami Market Footprint

NASHVILLE, Tenn., April 21 /PRNewswire/ -- HealthLeaders-InterStudy, a leading provider of managed care market intelligence, reports that while Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida leads health plan enrollment in the state of Florida, it is not a market leader in the state's largest metro area -- Miami-Fort Lauderdale. But a number of initiatives currently under way will likely help the insurer attract new members, according to the recent Miami Market Overview.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida already has retail insurance stores in Broward County's Pembroke Pines and in Tampa, and intends to expand across the state, including opening a second Broward County location this summer and a Miami site this month. These retail locations offer information on health plan products and wellness services, along with educational forums and personal health assessments. In addition, onsite care consultants assist Blue plan members with researching providers, treatment options and costs.

In another retail initiative, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida is selling healthcare cards in the pharmacy areas of stores such as CVS and Winn-Dixie supermarkets that provide low-cost, short-term coverage and discounted drugs.

In addition, the Blue plan is targeting Miami-Dade County's uninsured population with a narrow network plan that keeps costs down by offering access to a limited network of physicians and hospitals that in turn have agreed to accept lower reimbursement rates in exchange for an increased number of patients. The plan offers limited prescription drug coverage.

"Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida leads the state in enrollment, but is not a top player in the Miami market -- the state's largest market -- so it's not surprising that the plan is taking steps to get a better footprint in the area," said Josh Kelley, analyst with HealthLeaders-InterStudy. "The retail insurance store presence and the availability of health plan cards at retail pharmacy locations and the Miami-Dade narrow network product brings aggressive marketing and considerable visibility that may help them build enrollment in the Miami area."

In addition to providing detailed analysis of the leading managed care organizations operating in Miami, the Miami Market Overview provides local-level insights about:

• Financial challenges for Jackson Health System, one of the three safety-net health systems in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale market.
• Area hospital and physician integration, including the installation of electronic medical records.
• Challenges for the physician sector, including the prevalence of managed Medicare plans and poor commercial plan reimbursement.
• Market factors favorable to pharmaceutical sales and potential obstacles.

Why Pharmaceutical Sales Representatives Need Market Overviews

Market Overviews provide a detailed analysis of local healthcare market drivers in 87 of the nation's most dynamic metro areas.

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SOURCE HealthLeaders-InterStudy