Leaders from across Horry County gathered today with executives from BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina to celebrate a ribbon-cutting for the South Carolina BLUE retail center in Myrtle Beach.

This retail center is located at The Plaza at Carolina Forest (Store Address: 3701 Renee Drive, Myrtle Beach, SC 29579). It is led by Kirk Salek, retail center manager.

Salek stated, “The SC BLUE team is pleased to announce that the Myrtle Beach location is open for business. We are honored to serve the Horry County community, making health insurance more personal and accessible than ever before. Our team is excited to offer one-on-one consultations to answer health insurance questions and provide help enrolling in health insurance plans.”

According to its website, www.SCBlueRetailCenters.com, the retail center offers a full range of health plans from BlueCross and BlueChoice HealthPlan of South Carolina. This location marks the fourth retail center BlueCross has opened in the state. For more than 75 years, South Carolina residents have trusted BlueCross to protect them and their families.

"Health insurance can be confusing and overwhelming, especially to those who do not receive benefits from their employer. Our retail centers are designed to be friendly places to meet with an expert face-to-face. We work with all types of South Carolinians to include young professionals, families and retirees. Our team excels at being able meet consumers where they are and find the best plans for them,” said Bonnie Levkoff, director of marketing communications and development.

During the press conference prior to the ribbon-cutting, Representative Heather Ammons Crawford of South Carolina House District 68 stated, “As a member of the Horry County legislative delegation, it is an honor and privilege to represent District 68, Horry County and our state in Columbia at the State House. Our state is blessed to have a wonderful business community with partners like BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina who take pride in ensuring the health and safety of our citizens with increased access to quality health care.” She continued, “This is a step in the right direction to ensuring a healthy community in Horry County.”

The retail center is open Monday – Thursday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Customers can schedule an appointment or walk in for service. For more information, please visit www.SCBlueRetailCenters.com.

BlueChoice HealthPlan of South Carolina is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.