Chamber President Laurie White recently spoke with Melissa Cummings, Executive Vice President and Chief Customer Officer and Paul Ryan, Managing Director Consumer Insight & Strategy at Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island (BCBSRI) about the opening of the 5th Your Blue Store℠ in ten years in the state.

BCBSRI has officially opened a Your Blue Store in Narragansett, providing the same convenient, face-to-face service in South County that has made Your Blue Store so popular since its inception 10 years ago.
 
Your Blue Store began as a temporary storefront in Warwick and now, in its 10th anniversary year, has opened its largest store, at Salt Pond Shopping Center, 91 Point Judith Road. The Narragansett store joins four other locations in Cranston, East Providence, Lincoln, and Warwick.
 

BCBSRI’s 5th retail store opens just as the Medicare Annual Election Period (AEP) is about to begin. Nearly a quarter of the state’s population is eligible for Medicare, and Your Blue Store staff can provide expert, in-person guidance to Rhode Islanders who have questions about the benefits and features of Medicare Advantage plans. AEP runs from Oct. 15 through Dec. 7 for 2024 plans.
 
“There’s no better way to celebrate Your Blue Store’s 10th anniversary than to open yet another Your Blue Store! It’s truly remarkable that in just 10 years, we’ve opened five locations, from Blackstone Valley down to our southern coast,” said Melissa Cummings, BCBSRI executive vice president and chief customer officer. “I often get asked what someone can do in a Your Blue Store and the simple answer is, lots of things!  From free educational and fitness classes to face-to-face help with plans and benefits to meeting with our clinical staff, the success and popularity of these stores is directly linked to the value of being a locally based insurer and what differentiates Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island from any other.  If you haven’t visited a Your Blue Store, I encourage you to do so.  Our commitment to serving Rhode Islanders is best embodied in the bricks and mortar we have placed in communities across the state.”
 
A grand opening ceremony for the Narragansett Your Blue Store was held on Sept. 28. Your Blue Store staff and BCBSRI leadership, including President and CEO Martha L. Wofford and board member and retired South County Health CEO Lou Giancola, were joined by community leaders and officials, among them Town Council member Deborah Kopech and Narragansett Town Manager James Tierney.
 
Your Blue Store is designed to offer a personal touch and neighborhood convenience as part of BCBSRI’s efforts to reach Rhode Islanders where they’re most comfortable. Whether it’s online, on the phone, aboard Your Blue Bus, or at a Your Blue Store, the goal is the same – to help Rhode Islanders stay healthy and make it easy for them to understand and navigate health insurance.
 
Your Blue Store teams are adept at simplifying the complicated aspects of health insurance and speaking to customers in plain language (whether that’s English, Spanish, or Portuguese). Members can visit Your Blue Store with benefit questions, for help finding a doctor, to take a fitness or healthy living class, enjoy a cooking demonstration, or to talk to a nurse or dietitian to create a meal plan or find ways to save on medications. Your Blue Store also provides a great way to learn more about BCBSRI health plans.
 
Your Blue Store offers:
•           One-on-one consultations to review plans and benefits
•           Bill payment for Medicare Advantage and individual plan premiums
•           Fitness classes and well-being workshops
•           Immunizations and screenings
•           Onsite nurse case managers and dietitians to help manage ongoing medical challenges
•           Connections to local resources for housing, transportation, and food insecurity
•           Friendship, support, and a sense of community
 
All stores feature a community room for fitness classes and other gatherings, as well as private consultation space to discuss care coordination with a staff nurse or dietitian.
 
The Narragansett store provides a convenient location for members who purchase their insurance directly or those who are covered by Blue Cross through area employers.
 
Since 2013, Rhode Islanders have made nearly 350,000 visits to Your Blue Store locations.