April 21st, 2009

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports:

In response to cutbacks among companies that buy its services and growing demands for cost control, the region’s largest private health insurer has begun notifying employees that it is eliminating some jobs.

Beginning about two weeks ago, Independence Blue Cross told workers that 100 to 125 positions in two divisions will be dropped by June, said spokeswoman Liz Williams. Affected employees can apply for other open jobs, so it is unknown how many will be out of work.

She said 10 to 12 divisions were still studying how to improve “productivity and efficiency.” There is no deadline for making cuts.

Williams said some eliminated positions were at the “senior-most level,” though she declined to name them.

Independence Blue Cross has 8,880 employees and 3.4 million subscribers.

Williams said Blue Cross expected to lose subscribers as companies that purchase coverage for workers cut the size of their staffs. “We’re beginning to see a little bit of that and there’s more coming,” she said without divulging specific numbers.

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