MARS Advertising Partners with UnitedHealthcare to Design and Implement Nationwide Medicare Awareness Initiative

SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Nov. 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- MARS Advertising, Inc., a leading retail marketing agency has partnered with UnitedHealthcare to design and open more than 30 MedicareStore^sm sites across the United States in support of the company's inaugural National Medicare Education Week, which will seek to encourage beneficiaries and caregivers to learn more prior to the Medicare Open Enrollment Period.

Building upon the company's award-winning Medicare Made Clear education program, UnitedHealthcare launched National Medicare Education Week to encourage baby boomers and Medicare beneficiaries, families and caregivers to learn more about their health care coverage options.  With more than 10 million members enrolled in its Medicare plans, UnitedHealthcare is the largest company dedicated to the health and well being needs of seniors and other Medicare beneficiaries. 

MARS Advertising led the branding, design, fixturing, and installation of UnitedHealthcare Medicare Stores^sm , which are located in malls and shopping centers in more than 30 cities across the U.S.  The UnitedHealthcare MedicareStore^sm provides convenient and direct access to licensed agents who help educate beneficiaries about Medicare and how to find coverage that best meets their health needs and budgets.

MARS Advertising began laying the groundwork for UnitedHealthcare's innovative consumer-centric retail strategy in 2011, experimenting with a Medicare "pop-up" store format in Kingsport, Tenn.  That store's success paved the way for the nationwide rollout of stores in 2012. 

"Research shows that beneficiaries want to speak directly with a healthcare representative to plan and purchase Medicare solutions that fit their specific needs," said Ann Carr, Executive Vice President/General Manager, MARS Advertising. "The UnitedHealthcare MedicareStore^sm makes it easy for people to come in and ask questions to qualified agents about Medicare."

According to a survey conducted last year by the National Council on Aging and UnitedHealthcare, most adults ages 60 and older say they find Medicare confusing or do not understand it at all.

National Medicare Education Week ran from September 15 – 22, kicking off exactly one month before the Medicare Open Enrollment Period, running from October 15 to December 7.  Open enrollment allows beneficiaries to make changes to their Medicare coverage for the following year.  UnitedHealthcare MedicareStore^sm sites will be in operation through December 15.

UnitedHealthcare is dedicated to helping people nationwide live healthier lives by simplifying the health care experience, meeting consumer health and wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships with care providers. The company offers the full spectrum of health benefit programs for individuals, employers and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and contracts directly with more than 650,000 physicians and care professionals and 5,000 hospitals nationwide. UnitedHealthcare serves more than 38 million people and is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a diversified Fortune 50 health and well-being company.

Founded in 1972, MARS Advertising, Inc. has been named the No. 1 Shopper Marketing firm in the United States for the past five years, according to The Hub Magazine. Working with Fortune 500 companies, MARS and its affiliated companies have more than 500 employees in 11 offices throughout North America and in the U.K. MARS offers full-service integrated marketing solutions, from insights to execution. http://www.marsusa.com/

Contact: Kathleen Curran
[email protected]
248-936-2611

SOURCE MARS Advertising, Inc.