BlueCross BlueShield PGBA sheds 90 Florence jobs
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BlueCross BlueShield PGBA sheds 90 Florence jobs...
About 90 employees at BlueCross BlueShield PGBA in Florence may be out of a job by Feb. 5.
Patricia Burkett/News 13
About 90 employees at BlueCross BlueShield PGBA in Florence may be out of a job by Feb. 5.
FLORENCE — About 90 employees at BlueCross BlueShield PGBA in Florence may be out of a job by Feb. 5.
Billy Quarles, the company’s media relations specialist, said 15 employees each at the Camden and Columbia locations also recently received notice about the company’s reduction in force.
PGBA officials tried to give as much advance notice as possible to those employees, who are claims processors, Quarles said. In the remaining months of their employment, the company will try to place as many of those employees as possible in other positions.
The staff reductions are the result of the loss of a contract with a Medicare Advantage customer in Michigan. That customer had a decline in business and lost one of its groups, which meant the customer had fewer claims to process.
“PGBA processes the claims for that company, so without that group, there are not as many claims to process ... so that has taken some work away from PGBA,” Quarles said.
BlueCross is a large, diversified company with about 11,000 employees, Quarles said.
“Often, when one area of BlueCross experiences a downturn, other areas are growing and searching for qualified employees,” he said.
Quarles said company officials are trying to place many of the employees whose positions will be eliminated in other jobs throughout the company.
“That’s the right thing to do and we do not only this, but everything we can, to support associates of PGBA and of BlueCross,“ Quarles said.
PGBA LLC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, and has offices in Florence, Surfside Beach, Camden and Columbia.
PGBA performs claims processing, customer service, information systems platforms and fiscal services.
Company officials said in July the Florence office employed about 900 people and the Surfside Beach office employed about 850 people.
That’s when PGBA officials lost a bid for a defense department contract, working as a sub-contractor for the TRICARE program.
Company officials protested that decision, but said at the time PGBA will continue to provide services for TRICARE through March 31, 2010, and will provide an additional 90-day period of transitional help.
Company officials also said in July, however, the loss of that contract created the potential for job losses because the majority of PGBA’s nearly 1,750 local employees were devoted to the TRICARE program.
Quarles said PGBA processes about 45 million TRICARE claims per year, with a 99.5 percent accuracy level, and 99.8 percent of claims are processed within 30 days.
PGBA, one of Florence County’s top non-manufacturing employers for many years, has handled the TRICARE account for the past 28 years.
Reader Reactions
My opinion of a biased report is not necessary. You found what you needed to reenforce your beliefs. The history of economy in the 30’s, 70’s and the 90’s (before divine intervention of the internet bubble among other things) all tell the story. “Read my lips…NO NEW TAXES” was an epic fail.
Peachtree ... Perhaps you could share your opinion of a report by the Joint Economic Committee of the House of Representatives, dated April 1996. The subject was the economci effect of tax cuts.
“The Reagan tax cuts, like similar measures enacted in the 1920s and 1960s, showed that reducing excessive tax rates stimulates growth, reduces tax avoidance, and can increase the amount and share of tax payments generated by the rich. High top tax rates can induce counterproductive behavior and suppress revenues, factors that are usually missed or understated in government static revenue analysis. Furthermore, the key assumption of static revenue analysis that economic growth is not affected by tax changes is disproved by the experience of previous tax reduction programs.“
“Change has been a long time coming.“
I don’t even know exactly what that is supposed to mean, but the only change I’ve seen lately is that the economy has gotten worse and worse by the day.
Scarecrow, as soon as you W buttkissers realize that this economic downturn/collapse started before January 20, 2009. “Cut taxes so ‘mericans can keep what they earn” has been tried and failed. Change has been a long time coming.
President Obama didn’t single out BCBS and its subsidiaries to lose contracts. You read in the article all of their accolades and accomplishments, but you didn’t read what they or the winning bidders bid? Did you even think about that? Maybe there are other factors in the decision making process than “Obama took our jobs.“ It seems as if you always want to blame someone else. Maybe it was the fault of the powers that be at BCBSSC and its subsidiaries.
How long do you BO butt kissers think you can keep selling the idea that in some way the previous administration is and will be responsible for the collapse of the US economy? You wanted CHANGE. You have it.
Is everyone enjoying the results of Bill Clinton’s N.A.F.T.A. fiasco? At least these poor folks can still join the army or maybe qualify for Chinese lessons under the Workforce Investment Act.
Take the average living conditions of third world countries, split the difference with living conditions in the U.S. now and you’ll know what our lives will be like twenty years from now.
Lisa..Perhaps one day I can arrive at the pinnacle of delusion and believe the lies and deceptions that make up the House of Obama ... on second thought, I don’t see how I could ever be that gullible.
Wow, I really hope these workers find another job. BCBS and its subsidiaries have been hit really hard this year.
Also, good comeback Lisa. Facts are facts. When you start a sentence with “I believe,“ it’s all opinion.
FPorlock: I take it you believe in the Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy and Santa Claus ... right?
If you try hard enough you can reason anything out ... congratulations!
Lisa ... this conversation is off topic. I deeply regret anyone losing a job.
I’ll end my participation in this discussion by addressing your issue of WMD discoveries or lack thereof.
Check the records, and you’ll find that the following are among the individuals/organizations that clearly stated their beliefs that Iraq possessed those weapons.
Bill Clinton/Hillary Clinton/John Kerry/The United Nations Security Council/
Read the reports carefully, and you’ll see that there are dissenting viewpoints indicating that the weapons existed, and that many still exist. Remember that there were months/years when no inspectors were allowed in. Many trucks were spotted flowing back and forth across the Syrian border. So, you won’t convince me that weapons like this did not exist. I believe they’re still there, in hiding in Syria or Iran for future use.
Enough of this though, I’m sorry for the BCBS workers, and wish them much success in quickly finding other jobs.
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