Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Earns Perfect Score for 2018 Corporate Equality Index

Eagan, Minn. (November 16, 2017) - Blue Cross and Blue Shield (Blue Cross) today announced the company has again achieved a perfect score (100) on the Human Rights Campaign’s (HRC) annual Corporate Equality Index (CEI) for 2018. Blue Cross was among 947 businesses in the United States rated this year, and one of 609 to achieve the top rating of 100 percent and named a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality. The CEI is recognized as the premier national benchmark for LGBTQ workplace inclusion.

“Blue Cross is proud to have again achieved a 100 percent rating on the Corporate Equality Index,” said Paula Phillippe, senior vice president of human resources and corporate social responsibility for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota. “Blue Cross looks at best practices for diversity and inclusion as an integral part of our corporate strategy. Holding to the high standard set for the CEI is embedded in all aspects of the company, including business operations, talent acquisition, and our corporate social responsibility work."

The CEI rates companies on 40 specific policies and practices. To achieve a perfect score and the coveted distinction of “Best Places to Work for LGBTQ Equality,” companies must have fully-inclusive equal employment opportunity policies, provide equal employment benefits, demonstrate organizational LGBTQ competency, evidence their commitment to equality publicly and exercise responsible citizenship.

For more information on the 2018 Corporate Equality Index, or to download a free copy of the report, visit www.hrc.org/cei .

About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota

For more than 90 years, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota (bluecrossmn.com) has supported the health, wellbeing and peace of mind of our members by striving to ensure equitable access to high quality care at an affordable price. We are on a mission to inspire change, transform care and improve health for the people and communities we serve by reinventing both ourselves and the broader system. Our more than 2.5 million members can be found in every Minnesota county, all 50 states and on four continents. As a proud nonprofit organization, we believe working to advance wellness for all Minnesotans is the greatest investment we can make. Our goal is nothing less than for everyone to be able to achieve their full health potential, regardless of race or other socially defined circumstances. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, which serves more than 107 million members across the U.S.

About the Human Right Commission Corporate Equality Index
The Human Rights Campaign Foundation is the educational arm of America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual transgender and queer people. HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work and in every community.