Blue Cross Blue Shield ND sales leaders rewarded with trip to Grand Cayman Islands resort

[RC]

By: Patrick Springer, INFORUM
Premium vacation

At a time when Blue Cross Blue Shield wants to increase premiums up to 18.3 percent, reports surfaced Wednesday that the health insurer is spending up to $227,500 to send 35 of its employees to the Grand Cayman Islands.

The expenditure seems curious in light of the “dire” financial projections Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota made last year, when it once predicted a possible loss of up to $23 million, said North Dakota Insurance Commissioner Adam Hamm.

The Westin Casuarina Resort on the Grand Cayman Islands is the location of a reward trip for top sales staff at Blue Cross Blue Shield, where getaways are an annual motivational tool.

The total budgeted for the trip, attended by 35 employees, each allowed to bring a guest, was up to $227,500, according to figures from Blue Cross Blue Shield, which said it amounts to 90 cents for each policyholder.

>SNIP<

What Blue Cross Blue Shield is spending

* Hotel: $3,000 per couple

* Airfare: Up to $2,000 per couple

* Cash: $1,500 per employee

* Total per employee: Up to $6,500 per couple; 34 couples

and CEO Mike Unhjem, who went solo

* Total: Up to $227,500, or 90 cents per policyholder.

Source: Blue Cross Blue Shield
>THE REST<
http://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/233005/

[musette_sf]

1. the whole idea of salespeople who deserve some kind of award

for selling HEALTH INSURANCE is disgusting.

[madrchsod]

2. big ed called up the home office after receiving his new rates

he found out they were on vaction....the rest of the show was about how the insurance companies were fucking people over...

i guess big ed is`t a right wing shill after all!

[Canuckistanian]

3. Astounding, isn't it?

The people who deny the most health care to people are the ones who get rewarded.

These people aren't being rewarded for the number of claims they paid out.

[RC]

4. What the rate increase is really for is to drop off more people on the lower end.

They are the ones who use the health care the most. The more well off are healthier.
This BCBS is non-profit, so what is with these reward trips in the first place?