Dont call me Shirley

On line rating of BCBSNC -- sorry it is not the same site as the one above giving Anthem Blue Cross such a negative rating. That on did not have a listing for the former. It look like it has higher satisfaction than anthem. (Of course, few health insurance companies score well).

http://www.glassdoor...iews-E16517.htm

Back in the day, US gave employees in most regions a much wider choice. In all fairness to Team Tempe (those words do not come easily), US is not alone in giving employees fewer choices, but higher costs compared to, say, ten years ago.

[Note to all: Please do not turn this topic into a discussion about health insurance in general, merits of the Affordable Care Act, etc. Keep that on the Water Cooler board. ]

This is about if Team Tempe, in its drive for lower costs, has given its employees a worse health insurance option. I would love to know how much is being saved versus what BCBSNC cost.

Several people have told me that, even if they have not seen any changes yet, the billing person at their doctor's office grimaced or sighed when of the switch to Anthem.

Anthem has been in the news a couple of times (not in a positive way):
http://en.wikipedia....them_Blue_Cross
http://www.sfgate.co.../BUHQ1BTGN1.DTL

 at03, on 13 May 2012 - 12:02 AM, said:

walk

boxer, on 10 May 2012 - 10:32 PM, said:

gap

AIRWOMAN, on 20 November 2005 - 02:13 PM, said:

corrupt

UPNAWAY, on 10 May 2012 - 08:01 AM, said:

As stated the in OP, it was a legacy of the AL/PS/PI mergers (yes, it was AL until '89). Each carrier had its res offices that were carried over after the merger. PSA had RNO and SAN call centers. PI had still had UCA (from Empire) along with INT, BNA, DAY. USAir had IND, PIT, and Reston, VA. I don't remember who had SYR. PI, I think.

So, it was never by design. Now, it's just INT from the US side along with RNO and PHX from HP. I would not be surprised if some of the people at the RNO center were originally furloughed US agents who were then hired by AWA.

Not to get off on a tangent, but there was also a great deal of hub overlap/redundancy in the early '90s. DAY/IND/CLE/CMH all served more or less the markets. I can remember a hangar road show back then when Randy Malin (ugh) was asked by an employee if there would be consolidation / rationalization of those cities; he went on for some time about why it's a good idea to have planes in outstations all over the Midwest connecting people via those airports to the same final destinations. Didn't make much sense to me --- or anyone else listening. Sure enough, it was not long before the the cutbacks began.

BWI/PHL overlapped as well.

Back to topic of the call centers. IIRC, RNO bit the dust maybe around '97. (Long after the RNO station was closed) I think SAN lasted until after 9/11 but could be wrong.