UnitedHealthcare and Walgreens will open 14 Medicare services centers within Walgreens stores in five metropolitan areas as part of a multi-year agreement, the companies announced this week.
The UnitedHealthcare Medicare services centers will begin to open in January 2020 at Walgreens stores in the Las Vegas, Phoenix, Cleveland, Denver and Memphis markets. Through these centers, Walgreens customers can learn more about Medicare, meet with service advocates to discuss their UnitedHealthcare plan benefits and even enroll in plans, officials said.
UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage members can also make an appointment for an in-store annual wellness visit at the Medicare services center in Walgreens through UnitedHealthcare’s HouseCalls program, helping make it easier to get needed care, tests and treatment.
“We are expanding access to UnitedHealthcare Medicare resources to better serve our members, providing them with all the valuable benefits they have come to expect from their UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans plus delivering the customer service and information they desire locally within Walgreens,” Mike Anderson, CEO of the Medicare Part D business at UnitedHealthcare, said in a prepared statement.
Together, the two companies are also collaborating on the new AARP Medicare Advantage Walgreens plans from UnitedHealthcare, aiming to deliver lower prescription drug costs and more convenient access to medications. Many of the plans will feature $0 premiums and $0 co-pays on primary care visits, preventive care and many common generic drugs, officials attested.
“Walgreens collaboration with UnitedHealthcare helps people navigate their healthcare options and provides convenient access to affordable care,” said Rick Gates, senior vice president, pharmacy and healthcare at Walgreens. “Through strategic partnerships like this, Walgreens store locations can offer comprehensive services tailored to the specific needs of the communities we serve that are conveniently accessible alongside our pharmacy services.”
