United Healthcare opens health-benefits superstore in NYC

New York City -- United Healthcare on Wednesday opened its first comprehensive health-benefits store, in Flushing, N.Y. The insurer said the 16,000-sq.-ft. store will serve as a model for future UnitedHealthcare consumer-support centers.



The new UnitedHealthcare Asian Plaza center will provide residents with information and customer service on a variety of UnitedHealthcare benefits programs, as well as health-and-wellness services and free public health education programs. It is especially geared to the area’s many Asian-American residents.



Computers and iPads are available for visitors' use to obtain and print health-related information, and a "health screening kiosk" measures blood pressure, pulse and body mass index (BMI) -- all important indicators that help people better understand their health status. UnitedHealthcare also will host an ongoing series of education seminars, which are free to the public. Topics include nutrition and exercise, disease management and financial planning.



“Health care is a local resource, and as consumers are increasingly being asked to play a greater role in their personal health, many people are not quite ready and may need extra support,” Gail Boudreaux, CEO of UnitedHealthcare, said in a statement noting Wednesday's ribbon-cutting ceremony. “Neighborhood centers like the UnitedHealthcare Asian Plaza will become more critical to ensure consumers have easier access to local resources so they can learn more about their health and the options available to them. We look forward to serving consumers here in New York and expanding additional opportunities around the country to establish similar centers in other local communities."