Walgreens & the Blue Cross & Blue Shield Association Launch Joint Consumer Education Campaign in Preparation for New Health I...

Walgreens (NYSE: WAG) (Nasdaq: WAG) and the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) today launched a national campaign to educate consumers about the new health care reform law and provide them with key information on how to access coverage and understand other changes they may experience as a result of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The campaign centers on a new website, LearnAboutReform.com, which offers consumers helpful information about the new ways they will be able to purchase health insurance and the new benefits available to them. Informational brochures will also be offered to consumers at nearly all Walgreens drugstores across the country.

The educational collaboration between two trusted leaders in health and wellness means consumers will have easy access to the information they need to understand the changing health care landscape, right in their own neighborhoods.

“The Affordable Care Act will expand access to health insurance for millions of Americans and broaden health benefits, but many Americans have had little experience purchasing health coverage and are confused about what the law means to them,” said Maureen Sullivan, BCBSA senior vice president of strategic services and chief strategy officer. “Blue Plans have been working hard to help consumers navigate this new environment and the coverage options that are available to them. Our partnership with Walgreens is another example of our commitment to ensuring that all Americans have the tools they need to understand these changes and access affordable health insurance coverage that meets their needs.”

“Walgreens is a trusted community resource for health and wellness information, and through this collaboration we hope the millions of Americans who will be entering the marketplace in October are more informed and better prepared,” said Brad Fluegel, Walgreens senior vice president and chief strategy officer. “There’s a lot of confusion, a lot of questions and it’ll take a tremendous, collaborative effort to make sure people have the information they need to make informed choices.”

The Affordable Care Act expands access to insurance for millions of Americans who currently lack coverage, providing new protections for American families as well as new options and requirements for employers. It also changes how individuals and some small businesses purchase coverage. The law is complex, and these changes can be a lot to absorb for consumers. This educational campaign will help them understand their options.

LearnAboutReform.com will serve as a comprehensive guide to the law so that consumers can make informed health care choices this fall. Website features include:

• Easy-to-understand explanations of what the new law means for consumers
• Frequently asked questions about eligibility for federal financial assistance, the individual mandate and penalties for not purchasing insurance
• An explanation of the enrollment process, and how the new Health Insurance Marketplace or “exchanges” will work
• Interactive links to a glossary of terms related to health care reform

The campaign also will include informational brochures and signage in Walgreens locations nationwide to encourage consumers to learn about reform and the new exchanges.

About Walgreens

As the nation's largest drugstore chain with fiscal 2012 sales of $72 billion, Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) vision is to become America’s first choice for health and daily living. Each day, Walgreens provides more than 6 million customers the most convenient, multichannel access to consumer goods and services and trusted, cost-effective pharmacy, health and wellness services and advice in communities across America. Walgreens scope of pharmacy services includes retail, specialty, infusion, medical facility and mail service, along with respiratory services. These services help improve health outcomes and lower costs for payers including employers, managed care organizations, health systems, pharmacy benefit managers and the public sector. The company operates 8,098 drugstores in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Take Care Health Systems is a Walgreens subsidiary that is the largest and most comprehensive manager of worksite health and wellness centers and in-store convenient care clinics, with more than 700 locations throughout the country.

About the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association

The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association is a national federation of 38 independent, community-based and locally operated Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies that collectively provide healthcare coverage for 100 million members – one-in-three Americans. For more information on the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association and its member companies, please visit www.BCBS.com. We encourage you to connect with us on Facebook, check out our videos on YouTube, follow us on Twitter and check out The BCBS Blog, for up-to-date information about BCBSA.