Penny Shaffer reflects on Florida Blue's 75th
Posted on Apr 19th 2019 by Penny Shaffer
A few weeks ago, I attended a health care conference in South Florida. Nearly 1,000 people participated in the annual event, including leading healthcare executives from around the world. I enjoyed seeing other leaders I know, meeting new people, and talking about where healthcare is headed. More than anything I heard that day, what I will remember most [...]
Redefining the Future of Health
Posted on Apr 15th 2019 by Pat Geraghty
There is no question that a great deal has changed since April 27, 1944, the day Florida Blue—A GuideWell Company—opened its first office on Riverside Avenue in Jacksonville as Florida Hospital Service Corporation, later becoming Blue Cross Blue Shield. Founded on the need to provide affordable health care in Florida, our company has remained steadfast in that effort. Here we are, 75 years late [...]
Florida Blue and Archangels Team Up to Help Caregivers in Port St. Lucie and Clermont
Posted on Apr 9th 2019 by Florida Blue
At some point in our lives, almost all of us will be a caregiver to someone we love. Caregiving—to an aging family member or a loved one with a disability—is one of the hardest and most rewarding things most of us will ever do. At times, this job can be tough and lonely. Often, even those close to us won’t know what we’re going through. And it can be a challenge to ope [...]
The Florida Aquarium Needs Your Help Naming It's New Sea Turtle
Posted on Mar 19th 2019 by Christie DeNave
The star of The Florida Aquarium’s newest exhibit, Heart of the Sea, is a juvenile male loggerhead sea turtle that was unable to return to the wild due to an injury. Since he was rescued from the frigid waters off the northeast coast the United States, he has been called Loggerhead Sea Turtle # [...]
Florida Blue and The Florida Aquarium, Working Together to Protect Our Oceans
Posted on Mar 1st 2019 by Florida Blue
Did you know sea turtles give us insight into the overall health of our state’s waters? The number of sea turtles and health of the population impacts our oceans. The Florida Aquarium explained that sea turtles eat ocean jellies (jellyfish), preventing the large “blooms” that negatively impact fisheries, re [...]
Encourage, Mentor and Take Time to Care
Posted on Feb 15th 2019 by Velma Monterio-Tribble
Florida Blue is committed to helping people and communities achieve better health – this mission leads my work and encouraged me to find outlets to use my passion for education to encourage Floridians to achieve a better life. My parents, educators and extended family all mentored. They taught me as a young girl that education is something no one can ever take away from you. It is one of t [...]
Hurricane Michael Impacts
Posted on Feb 11th 2019 by Florida Blue
If you need an individual or family plan and you weren’t able to enroll in a 2019 health plan because of the hurricane, you may qualify for a Special Enrollment Period until February 16. Counties eligible for this extended SEP include: Bay, Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, Leon, Liberty, Taylor, Wakulla, Washington, Okaloosa, Walton, Jefferson, Suwannee, Madison and Hamilton. [...]
Celebrate With Us
Posted on Jan 29th 2019 by Florida Blue
We’re thankful that you’re part of the Florida Blue family! To show our appreciation, we’re hosting events at Florida Blue Centers across the state on February 9 with food, fun, giveaways and more. Our Center staff is excited to meet you and tell you all that’s available to you there. There’s no cost to attend, and you can bring friends and family along. [...]
Free, 24-Hour Grief Counseling Hotline Available to Sebring Community
Posted on Jan 25th 2019 by Florida Blue
Florida Blue, in partnership with New Directions Behavioral Health, is offering a free grief counseling hotline to anyone in need of emotional support following the tragedy in Sebring this week. The hotline is open 24-hours a day to the entire community at no cost and will connect callers with a trained, caring professional [...]
Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Posted on Jan 17th 2019 by Florida Blue
Did you know that Dr. King drew from the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi and his Christian faith to lead the largest nonviolent movement in the United States? A powerful orator who moved many to seek justice and [...]