BLUECROSS BLUESHIELD OF TN

[mindycase]

BlueCross BlueShield Volunteer State Health Plan employees met for official meeting sessions today with Executives Dr. Coulter and Sonya Nelson announcing a layoff of 140 people 8/31. I wonder why? With the high reserves money they have that should keep it afloat until the new Medicare business begins with the 2 new contracts we supposedly won back. They will be hiring again beginning 2011 for the new contracts. They tell us about the terrible hit/losses this part of the business has taken so they are trying to come up with new strategies for the future. I wonder when this news is going to hit the papers?

[steadmans]

Your information is misleading. Do you work there? I do, and my department was (last spring) and will be this time directly affected by the cuts. It's misleading to say 140 people will be laid off. We worker bees are completely aware of the "changes" that will be happening. Opportunities for advancement within different unaffected divisions have been offered, and there is a program in place to help place employees in other positions as well instead of being directly laid off. Positions are eliminated, but that also means vacant positions are not filled. So 140 positions (or whatever the number ends up being) will be eliminated, but that will not affect 140 employees. Far from it.

[mindycase]

I perfectly understand it all. I mentioned in one of my post (another topic called "Work") how the process works and that most will probably be placed in other areas and that they offer the 90 day posting procedure. I have been through it myself since also last March. I have worked there for years. I hope you also get another good position. I am quoting what the Executives Dr. Coulter and Sonya Nelson stated in our VSHP meeting session Friday. I do know that some of the CSR's on my floor have already been offered other positions and have also already physically moved so that is a good thing. The other post I was referring to that I made is under the topic Work and not the BlueCross BlueShield topic. I have two on this site. You need to read my other post. Good luck to all VSHP employees.

[Justin Thyme]

Positions are eliminated, but that also means vacant positions are not filled. So 140 positions (or whatever the number ends up being) will be eliminated, but that will not affect 140 employees. Far from it.

It may not affect 140 employees but it will affect 140 Chattanoogans by the fact that there will be 140 fewer people employed in Chattanooga. I think that is an item of interest to far more people in Chattanooga than just those employed by BCBS.

[mindycase]

Exactly, I agree Justin. We have people overage out all the time due to different reasons normally one at a time but not at the volumes we have seen since last March. We had over 100 last March and then 38 this March and now more. The Executives State VSHP has lost millions and then they also are trying to figure out their future with new the new health care reform. To me the health care reform would help business but not in their eyes and special statistical analysis and future projections they have our Finance & Underwriting departments perform. It really does not make since to me but oh well. We will see how it all falls out. Hopefully for the good for Chattanooga's sake is all I hope.