Walmart Stores To Offer Health Insurance
DirectHealth.com will set up counters in Walmart stores where consumers can compare and purchase health plans.
The Washington Post: Wal-Mart Adds In-Store Program To Help Customers Compare Insurance Offerings
Wal-Mart announced Monday that it will dive deeper into the health-care market, unveiling an initiative to allow customers to compare and enroll in health insurance plans in thousands of its stores. Wal-Mart is teaming with DirectHealth.com, an online insurance comparison site and independent health insurance agency, to set up counters in its stores where consumers can talk to licensed agents about plan options (Halzack, 10/6).
The Associated Press: Wal-Mart Plans 1-Stop Health Coverage Shopping
Wal-Mart is taking one-stop shopping to another area: health insurance. ... The strategy is another step into insurance marketing as the retailer tries to use its mammoth size to expand beyond food and other basics at a time of sluggish traffic and sales. It also could help Wal-Mart compete with drugstore chains such as Walgreen and CVS, which are rapidly adding health care services. ... Wal-Mart won't receive commissions on health coverage sales and hopes to benefit partly by luring customers into stores. DirectHealth is absorbing most of the costs to operate the program, Labeed Diab, senior vice president and president of Wal-Mart's health and wellness division, told The Associated Press (d'Innocenzio, 10/6).