Anthem BCBS helping union members keep healthcare costs low

Bryan Flannery, Director of Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield's Labor and Trust division, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss how Anthem is working to keep healthcare costs affordable and accessible for union members nationwide.

Flannery started the conversation by describing his unique journey from being an elected official to labor-focused healthcare services. His 25 years of experience in the labor space started while serving the union marketplace for American Income Life. Flannery also spent four years on the Lakewood City Council and three years as a member of the Ohio House of Representatives where he credits union support for his time in office. Flannery would serve as the Democratic nominee for Secretary of State in 2002 and the Democratic candidate for Ohio Governor in 2006. He would later go on to work for the labor division with Cigna before joining Anthem about four years ago.

Anthem serves over 2 million unionized workers, retirees and their families in America, and over 500 trust funds. Flannery said they have over 75 percent of the private union trust funds. To provide affordable and accessible care to these union members, Anthem creates custom plans for each trust fund. Much of Anthem’s ability to provide the best services to members is due to their in-program providers, which consist of nearly 95 percent of doctors and 96 percent of hospitals nationwide, which is growing daily, Flannery said.

Anthem BCBS has been referred to as the Gold Standard within the labor-focused healthcare industry said Flannery. He talked about the changes in the union healthcare sector and what Anthem is doing to keep costs down for members. He explained how their joint administration with trust funds allows members' money to be used as economically as possible while providing the best care possible to members. Anthem’s ability to integrate all portions of care — medical, pharmacy, behavioral and several more — has also helped to lower costs for their union clients at a time when costs continue to rise for many non-Anthem clients.

Listen to the show above to learn more about Anthem BCBS and its efforts to keep healthcare costs low for union members.