Manitoba Blue Cross is taking its show on the road.
The Winnipeg-based health benefits provider recently christened a new service centre in Winkler. Staffed by three counsellors, the new facility enables members to get face-to-face assistance with their claims, ask questions about their coverage and receive guidance from a knowledgeable, customer service team.
The Winkler opening comes almost a year after Blue Cross christened another location in Thompson. Ben Graham, president and CEO of Manitoba Blue Cross, said the moves were no coincidence.
“We’re Manitoba Blue Cross, not Winnipeg Blue Cross,” he says. “There is a recognition that while people are moving on line, they still value face-to-face service.”
Graham says southern Manitoba communities, including Winkler, Morden, Altona and Carman, are growing “exponentially” and it’s important to service customers where they live.
“It’s the right location for us, it recognizes the role that southern Manitoba is playing in growing the provincial economy,” he says.
Winkler mayor Henry Siemens says he’s “very happy” that Blue Cross chose Winkler for its latest site.
“It’s going to help our community. The service aspect is the key piece. We’re very excited to see where it’s going. We’re a rapidly-growing area. There is an opportunity for continued growth for Blue Cross here,” he says.
Winker continues to churn out growth across a variety of key metrics, including building permits and the number of people per house, between 3.5 per cent and 4.0 per cent. Siemens says Blue Cross has long differentiated itself from its competitors. For example, it doesn’t take long to speak to a real person when you call in, he says.
“Blue Cross is zigging when everybody else is zagging,” he says.
Eligible Manitoba Blue Cross plan members with individual or employee assistance program coverage can access professional support for their mental well-being through in-person counselling sessions. And members of the public can also visit the centre for information on travel or personal health plans.
