Highmark to open additional Direct retail health insurance stores in Pennsylvania

Highmark today announced that it will open two additional Highmark Direct retail health insurance stores in Pennsylvania. The stores will be located in Lancaster and Easton and will bring the total number of stores in the state to eight.

Highmark is the only health insurer to operate retail stores in Pennsylvania. The company opened its first Highmark Direct stores in March 2009 and added four additional stores in 2010. Since inception, the stores had more than 63,000 visitors and provided health insurance to thousands of individuals and their families.

"As consumers become more involved in buying health insurance – particularly with recent health care reform legislation – Highmark wants to help them better understand their options," said Matt Fidler, Highmark vice president of consumerism and retail marketing. "The stores have helped customers better understand what they are purchasing and make more informed decisions about their health. With the addition of Lancaster and Easton stores, we'll be able to reach even more Pennsylvanians who need health insurance support."

The new Highmark Direct stores are scheduled to open in June 2011 at the following locations.

• Lower Nazareth Commons Shopping Center, 3770 Dryland Way, Easton, Pa.
• Mill Creek Square, 2350 Lincoln Highway East, Lancaster, Pa.

Eight additional employees will be hired as staff at the new store locations.

Highmark Direct offers consumers in Highmark's service area the opportunity to meet one-on-one with a health insurance specialist to discuss their health insurance options and their benefits as a Highmark member.

The stores sell health insurance plans to individuals, seniors and small businesses, as well as ancillary products. iDental(SM), a dental insurance product of United Concordia Dental, a Highmark subsidiary, is available in the store and is designed to cover routine dental care. Customers can also talk with a Highmark Direct representative about purchasing a genetic program from Navigenics, which is an integrated approach to health and wellness that is personalized for each individual based upon their genetic risks.

SOURCE Highmark Inc.