Latest Walmart Offering: Health Insurance

Walmart Corp. (Bentonville, Ark.), which recently announced the launch of in-store acute and primary care clinics, has partnered with DirectHealth.com, an independent health insurance agency, to allow customers to compare and enroll in health insurance plans in-store.

More than half of the retailer’s 4300 U.S. stores will feature dedicated counters where customers can talk with licensed agents about plan options and purchase plans, according to the Washington Post. Direct­Health.com agents will work on a commission basis.

The program, “Healthcare Begins Here,” will run through December 7, coinciding with Medicare’s open enrollment period as well as part of the open enrollment period for federal health insurance exchanges. Walmart says it will evaluate the success of the program before deciding whether or not to bring it back next year.