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Angela Braly- what a shame!!! Health insurer WellPoint may cut more jobs

By Amarendra Bhushan for CEOWORLD Magazine Updated:September 23, 2009

How could this be? I thought Bernanke said we were now coming out of the recession.

WellPoint (WLP.N), the largest U.S. health insurer by membership, is weighing more job cuts. WellPoint Chief Executive Officer Angela Braly said enrollment is not expected to increase in 2010.

Wellpoint eliminated nearly 1,500 jobs earlier this year.

Braly was ranked eighth in 2009 on Forbes magazine’s “World’s Most Powerful Women” list and fourth on Fortune magazine’s “50 Most Powerful Women” list.

Braly assumed her position in June 2007 after serving as WellPoint’s vice president and general council. WellPoint is based in Indianapolis and is made up of 14 Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans, including Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Wisconsin.

About 4,500 of WellPoint’s 42,000 employees are in Indiana. WellPoint’s Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield is the largest commercial insurer in the state.

In the memo to WellPoint managers, Braly said the company periodically needs to adjust its size to align with membership and that it planned “to make these reductions thoughtfully and respectfully, but with appropriate speed.

“Discretionary spending, of course, will get special scrutiny, but staffing levels also must decline if we are to succeed in these tough economic times.”

A company spokeswoman, Kristin Binns, told Reuters the company reviews the size and skills of its workforce as the economic environment changes.

“We are examining ways we can operate more efficiently in 2010, which we believe is essential to allow us to invest for the longer term and to innovate for the benefit of our customers and members,” Binns said.

The memo did not specify how many job cuts WellPoint was considering and Binns did not elaborate. WellPoint employs about 42,000 workers.

WellPoint spokeswoman Kristin Binns said the company has no total for the number of cuts or when they may happen. She said WellPoint is looking at all areas of the company, not just employment totals, in its push to become more efficient.

Other ways to trim costs may include technology upgrades or reductions in administrative expenses.

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Tagged with: Angela Braly, Barack Obama, Center For Responsive Politics, Cigna, Donald W. Riegle, Evan Bayh, Hcan, Health Care For America Now, Health Care Reform, Health Insurance, Indianapolis, Insurance Company, Insurance Industry, Marquette University, Max Baucus, Milwaukee, Protest, Rallies, Susan Bayh, United Health Group, Wellpoint, William-Bush

A Wellpoint Slave

Wellpoint is only loyal to Wall Street investors. Employees are are viewed as easy come, easy go.
Wellpoint has a layoffs two times a year - in the spring and just before the holidays - every year - no exceptions.
Very top heavy company and no bonuses for employees - can't afford it!! What did they do with the health insurance premium increase? Angela received her bonus - but her pions are kicked to the curb.

Primary Info

All year, she has worked on "Build a Better WellPoint" with her cronnies. End result equated to \sstaff cuts so she and her top dogs' bonuses don't get trimmed. WellPoint = Greed. No loyalty to employees or customers.

Blue Cross/ angela braly

what a shark ,Angela Braly is the biggest bitch and the worst thing to happen to us Americans since GW Bush

PIssedoffworker

Why can she have a large salary and everyone else has to suffer maybe instead of thinking of herself and her highly paid staff, how bout thinking of her own employees and there well-being in this tough economy times!!!

FEDUP11

Why not just cut Angela's salary and perks?
That would save lots of money to use for associate salaries.

I hear your having Latino/American week.

What about Italian week?
And
German week?
And
American Indian week?

YOUR A RACIST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!