Every two weeks, I have the distinct pleasure of speaking to a group of Blue Cross’ newest hires in a class we call Health Insurance 101. The crux of the lesson is a simple one: What’s the point of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana? Why are we here?
Fourteen years ago, I was working for a collapsing telecom company that had just shut down the division I worked for and laid off about 70 of us. Three months later, I began my career here at Blue Cross, and as a cancer survivor, you might imagine I was VERY interested in getting health insurance coverage.
Here at Straight Talk, we’re usually talking about things that drive up your healthcare and health insurance costs. So, it’s nice to be able to share some good news with all of you!
As a person with Type 2 diabetics in my family, I’ve seen the struggle, up close and personal, of having to stick yourself multiple times a day, record your blood sugar levels and then convert that on the fly into some kind of medicine dosing. Calling it a messy process is being kind.
Note from Mike: I was at this event earlier this week. I’m really excited to see the amazing work these firms are doing to fight diabetes. I’ve talked before about the cost of treating chronic conditions. I’m amped about new tech that can help doctors and health plans like Blue Cross stop some of the tragic results of diabetes. These advances can save money and improve lives at the same time. Here’s more about the event and the winner.
It’s not that often I go after a specific, single behavior, but today I’m in a mood. I was just looking at the rates of tobacco use by state, and apparently, in Louisiana, our rates are VERY high.
