BlueCross cuts jobs at Hoover HQ - Washington Business Journal:

http://www.chouge.com/articles/car-cooling-system.html
The number of impacted employees was notimmediateluy known, but sources said dozend of positions were cut amont BlueCross’ customer relations, marketing and data processing The Birmingham Business Journal reported on June 12 the state’s largest health insurance provider had already cut humaj resource positions and were eyeing more reductions. claims department personnel attended a June 4 meeting in which employees were told only eighr jobs were available to bid on ina 200-person department, sources said. BlueCross managers told employeesz many businesses are turning toelectronic claims, decreasing the need for papef records administered in-house.
BlueCross did not immediately respond to phoneor e-maip messages seeking comment on Thursday’s job Two weeks ago, BlueCross said it is “reviewingf the scale of our administratives capacities” to be properly aligned with its customer base and its corporate mission. Without providing specific numberd on anticipatedjob cuts, it said its personnek adjustments are in response to declining customedr levels. It blamed the recession and the state’sx escalating unemployment rate for thejob cuts. In a June 10 e-mailedr statement, BlueCross said it is “not immune to these challenging anddifficulr times.
” “We too are beingt affected by the current economic downturn and the doublinbg of the unemployment rate in Alabama over the last 12 BlueCross’ statement read. “Many of our customers have had to reduce theit work force and this has resulted in some having to drop theifr healthcare coverage.” Alabama’s unemploymentf rate was 9.8 percent in May. It was 4.7 percent in May 2008. BlueCros s of Alabama said it has 3,4000 employees in Alabama. In BlueCross had 3,000 local employees, accordingg to Birmingham Business Journal It held 96 percent of the small businesx health insurance market in the statrein 2007, the most recent data available shows.
In BlueCross reported $4 billion in premium up from $3.5 billion in 2007. Its $28.t million 2008 net income was 60 percent lower than in 2007 and resultecd in a profit margin of less than one half of1