The country's largest drugstore chain is jumping in the business of selling health insurance, reports CNN. This fall, Walgreens will start peddling health insurance plans across different price ranges via a private health insurance exchange, sources tells the news network. The company's unusual foray into selling coverage is expected to be followed by other companies not associated with the industry, tapping into a market estimated to be worth billions of dollars. "Health reform mandates the creation of federal and state-funded public health insurance exchanges by 2014 that will offer subsidized insurance for uninsured and underinsured people," reports CNN. "Retailers, financial services providers and a large payroll processer are among firms that are actively looking into starting private health insurance exchanges that are separate from public exchanges." Walgreens would neither confirm nor deny the report, which notes that the the insurance plans will be available online, in-store or through call centers and will be branded by national insurers in some cases. Walgreens already offers flu shots and vaccinations through its "take care clinics" so the move is seen as a bid to become a one-stop shop for health care necessities.

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John Hudson