Winn-Dixie to offer health insurance to Florida customers

NEW YORK Uninsured Floridians may find a new kind of stocking stuffer in their Christmas stockings this year — one that will help them toward seeing the doctor they’ve been meaning to see, you know, just as soon as they could afford it. The cards are available beginning this month at Winn-Dixie and will be rolled out to CVS/pharmacy beginning in November.

It’s an idea that’s more akin to pre-paid phone cards than anything else, and accordingly will be merchandised alongside other gift card offerings.

For $19, that FamilyBlue card qualifies a family of six for three months of 20% to 60% discounts on dental visits, eye care and prescriptions.

The $59 Gift of Health Care card is applied against BCBSF’s GoBlue product, which provides access to physician visits (GoBlue covers the first $50 of that visit), between $5 to $15 toward the purchase of a prescription drug and free lab services (but only if Quest Diagnostics is the lab) for affordable premiums – as low as $26 per month for a 25-year-old individual. Members receive access to a statewide PPO network and because GoBlue is a guaranteed issue product, no applicants are denied enrollment. Furthermore, without a lifetime maximum, members can continue to receive benefits as long as they pay their premiums.