CareFirst Earns Top Rating for Workplace Equality from Human Rights Campaign

The nation’s largest LGTBQ civil rights group announces annual Corporate Equality Index

Baltimore, MD (December 05, 2016) - CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield (CareFirst), the region’s largest health insurer, has earned a top score of 100 percent from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) on the organization’s 2017 Corporate Equality Index (CEI).

CareFirst is one of 400 companies to earn a CEI top rating and is also considered one of the “Best Places to Work for LGBTQ Equality” by HRC, the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGTBQ) civil rights group.

The Corporate Equality Index serves as the national benchmarking tool for ranking American workplaces and focuses on equal employment opportunity policies, organizational LGBT competency and public commitment. Since 2002, HRC has published the annual CEI to highlight businesses leading the way on LGBTQ inclusion and non-discrimination. Other businesses that have earned a top designation in the past include Apple Inc., CVS Health Corp., and AT&T Inc.

“It has long been a part of our company mission to promote respect, fairness and opportunity among all of our associates,” said CareFirst President and CEO Chet Burrell. “This recognition from the Human Rights Campaign serves as a prominent reminder that we have been able to put that commitment into practice, ensuring CareFirst is a diverse and inclusive workplace.”

To earn a 100 percent rating on the CEI, employers must:

  • Have sexual orientation and gender identity non-discrimination protections explicitly included in all operations;
  • Require U.S. contractors to abide by the company’s existing inclusive non-discrimination policies; and,
  • Implement internal requirements prohibiting company philanthropic giving to non-religious organizations that have a written policy of discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

View the complete 2017 CEI Report for information on how the Corporate Equality Index is compiled.

    About CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield

    In its 78th year of service, CareFirst, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, is a not-for-profit health care company which, through its affiliates and subsidiaries, offers a comprehensive portfolio of health insurance products and administrative services to 3.4 million individuals and groups in Maryland, the District of Columbia and Northern Virginia. In 2015, CareFirst contributed nearly $40 million to improve overall health, and increase the accessibility, affordability, safety and quality of health care throughout its market areas. To learn more about CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, visit our website at www.carefirst.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram or Google+.