CSR 2022    /    Access to Care    /    Community Impact    /    Operating Responsibly    /    Leadership View

 

Operating with integrity and respect is at the core of how we do business with our members, customers and suppliers and as a corporate citizen in our communities.

 
 

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

BCBSMT is committed to building upon its contributions to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). Our Center for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion aims to strengthen and embed DEI in everything we do. 

In 2022, we’ve focused on elevating our DEI strengths, impact and progress by:

  • Cultivating an equitable environment for employees and members.
  • Growing our position as a DEI industry leader.
  • Addressing systemic barriers that may create disproportionate advancement opportunities for people of color.
  • Evolving our supplier diversity practices to improve our utilization and spend with diverse suppliers across all areas of the organization.


By embedding DEI across our business and processes, we have accelerated opportunities to drive diverse engagement and inclusive experiences for our employees, members, customers and communities.

 
Woman wearing glasses gazes into distance.

icon graphic of a handshake

5 Business Resource Groups

tap into the perspectives of employees who share diverse interests and backgrounds

 

Business Resource Groups

Our five Business Resource Groups (BRGs) bring together employees with common interests or backgrounds to impact the business and our communities.

  • Engaging Multigenerational Energy to Recognize Growth Enterprisewide (EMERGE)
  • Native Americans in Progress 
  • Supporters of Military Veterans
  • Women Improving the Strength of the Enterprise (WISE)
  • Pride Alliance
 
Black man wearing beanie looks at computer intently.
 

"We are a great resource to understand the different needs of our tribal communities and help establish trust."

- Candice Petersen, state chair of BCBSMT's Native Americans in Progress BRG
 
 

Supplier Diversity

A diverse supply chain is critical to the success of our business. Our employees, members, customers and communities we serve expect us to be inclusive in all aspects of our business, including our third-party relationships. 

This includes our supply chain, our providers, producers and other business partners. These diverse partnerships improve our ability to innovate, maximize our operational effectiveness, and ultimately, enhance our ability to serve our members.

Our total spend with diverse suppliers increased from 4.27% in 2021 to 4.71% in 2022, representing 2022 disbursements of $170.2 million to diverse-owned businesses.*

BCBSMT is a member of several nonprofit advocacy organizations that promote the inclusion of their business members, assisting in their growth and connecting them with prospective customers:

  • National Minority Supplier Development Council
  • Women’s Business Enterprise National Council 
  • National LGBT Chamber of Commerce 
  • National Veteran’s Business Development Council
  • Disability:IN
Two well-dressed women discuss business.
 

We engage with these organizations in matchmaker events, access their databases to identify potential businesses for inclusion in sourcing opportunities and participate in their conferences.

* Applies to Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans in Illinois, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas

 
Multi-generational employees seated around desk listen to presentation.
 

Recognition of our DEI Practices, Programs and Strategies

Diversity MBA
50 Out Front Best Places to Work for Women and Diverse Managers

Best in Class ranking for recruitment, representation and accountability

Forbes
Best Employers for Women, Best Employers for Diversity

National Business Inclusion Consortium
Best-of-the-Best Corporation for Inclusion

G.I. Jobs
Military Friendly Employers (Silver)

Human Rights Campaign Foundation
100% on the Corporate Equality Index

Disability:IN
100% on the Disability Equality Index

 

icon graphic of a lightbulb

100% of electric power-related emissions offset

with renewable energy credits

 

Sustainability

Commitment to sustainability is at the core of our business practices. We operate in accordance with the triple bottom-line theory, which calls for the pursuit of actions that support people, the planet and prosperity.

We’re committed to reducing our emissions in measurable ways. Five of our 2022 energy efficiency projects resulted in a reduction of about 170,000 kilowatt hours in electricity usage across the enterprise — roughly equivalent to the amount of carbon sequestered by 2,000 tree seedlings growing for 10 years.*

We continue to offset 100% of our electric power usage-related emissions with the purchase of renewable energy credits. Our employees recycled nearly 23,000 pounds of paper and 4,120 pounds of electronic equipment in 2022. 

Two hives with honeybees pollenate surrounding land.

Two hives house 100,000 honeybees and sit within view of the Boulder and Elkhorn Mountain ranges outside BCBSMT's Helena headquarters. 

These efforts saved about 333 trees, 80,500 gallons of water and 40 cubic yards of landfill space. Composting partnerships diverted nearly 770 pounds of organic waste from our Helena headquarters. 

Last fall we installed two hives housing about 100,000 docile honeybees within view of the Boulder and Elkhorn Mountain ranges outside our Helena headquarters. These pollinators contribute to biodiversity in the area and provide an educational opportunity. “It’s something small that makes a big impact,” says Alex Ramirez, the BCBSMT facilities representative overseeing the hives.

BCBSMT also participates in science-backed initiatives that support strategic sustainability decision-making. Our Helena headquarters building earned the WELL Health-Safety Rating certification in 2022 and maintained its certification by Fitwell. 

* Applies to Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans in Illinois, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas

 
 

Employee Health

The health and well-being of our employees is a top priority. We provide a wide variety of programs and resources led by Motiva, our corporate employee health and well-being team, to help employees enhance their physical and mental health. In 2022 we launched a one-stop internal website for the array of in-person and virtual fitness options, mental health resources, nutrition information and wellness incentive programs that help employees keep on track. These resources give employees the tools to manage stress and anxiety, improve nutrition, sleep, exercise habits and more. In our Power of Movement Challenge, 126 employees logged about 2,144 hours of physical activities, roughly equivalent to 10,550 miles.

Black man bicycles during tough workout in garage.

As part of a broader initiative targeting six areas that have a major impact on quality of life and health outcomes, BCBSMT physicians and guest experts held webinars for employees on cancer screenings, immunizations, diabetes, cardiovascular care, behavioral health, and maternal and infant health.

 

icon graphic of a person jumping rope

2,144 hours of physical activities

logged by employees in the Power of Movement Challenge

 

Ethics and Compliance

External recognition assures our customers, business partners and our communities that we are a company committed to ethics and integrity.

That’s why we were proud to be named one of the 2022 World’s Most Ethical Companies® by Ethisphere® for the seventh straight year. This designation recognizes a broad range of initiatives focused on culture, compliance practices, governance, environmental and social impacts, leadership and reputation. In addition to this global recognition, our toolkit designed to assist managers in navigating employee concerns was named a “best practice” by Health Ethics Trust.

Bearded man in blue work shirt smiles while shaking hands.

These honors recognize our ability to sustain a robust compliance program even during times of change. Through it all, we maintain a strong ethical culture by leaning on the values that form the foundation of our codes of conduct: integrity, respect, commitment, excellence and caring.

 

CSR 2022    /    Access to Care    /    Community Impact    /    Operating Responsibly    /    Leadership View

Last Updated: April 18, 2023