Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Joins State Efforts to Prevent Further Spread of COVID-19

Company associates to volunteer as contact tracers for Minnesota Department of Health
 

(Eagan, Minnesota) May 19, 2020 — Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota (Blue Cross) has become the first health insurer to join the state’s latest public health initiative to slow the spread of COVID-19. More than 140 Blue Cross associates from across Blue Cross will volunteer as contact tracers for the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), starting this week.  

This agreement is the result of Blue Cross proactively reaching out to MDH and offering support for the state’s goal of deploying close to 500 volunteer contact tracers by the end of the month.

“Our hope in this crisis is to offer stability and support for our communities and our state however we can,” said Dr. Craig Samitt, president and CEO of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota. “I’m proud of how quickly our people have rallied to help staff this key public health effort that will help our communities fight against and recover from COVID-19.”

Contact tracing plays a key role in effective COVID-19 control programs throughout the United States and in other countries. In Minnesota, Blue Cross volunteer investigators will interview individuals who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 in order to determine who among their social contacts may also have been exposed to the virus. The investigator will then reach out to those identified contacts and relay the state’s suggested policies and procedures for self-quarantine and testing. 

“We’re extremely grateful to Blue Cross for stepping up with a team of volunteers willing to undergo the training in order to take on this important work to protect the health of Minnesotans,” said Jan Malcolm, Minnesota Health Commissioner.

All Blue Cross volunteers will receive training from MDH on proper protocols for conducting interviews that adhere to all laws and regulations pertaining to private and confidential health information. Volunteers will be asked to complete a minimum two-week commitment, consisting of six-hour shifts, three to four days per week. The goal will be for volunteers to complete approximately five case calls per shift. 

Stay up to date on Blue Cross’ COVID-19 response by visiting bluecrossmn.com/coronavirus and the Minnesota Department of Health for data, information and more on COVID-19.
 

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.