--- title: Anthem helps more than 2.3 million union members save on healthcare description: The AWF Union Podcast is the nation’s premier daily labor program. Eric Brandon from Anthem BCBS Labor and Trust joined us on today’s show. image: https://awf.labortools.com/hubfs/Anthem%20Blue.png --- 1 min read Season 5, Episode 223 # Anthem helps more than 2.3 million union members save on healthcare [ awfblog ](https://awf.labortools.com/listen/author/awfblog) November 7, 2024 [America's Work Force Union Podcast](https://awf.labortools.com/listen/tag/americas-work-force-union-podcast) [AWF](https://awf.labortools.com/listen/tag/awf) [Anthem BCBS](https://awf.labortools.com/listen/tag/anthem-bcbs) ![Anthem](https://awf.labortools.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Anthem.png?width=400&height=400&name=Anthem.png)   Guest Name: --- Eric Brandon Guest Website: --- [Anthem BCBS](https://www.anthem.com/employer/industry-solutions/labor-and-trust)  Guest Social Media: --- [ Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/AnthemBlueCrossBlueShield) [ Twitter](https://twitter.com/anthembcbs) [ YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/) [ LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/) Supportive Documents: --- Eric Brandon, Strategic Account Executive Labor and Trust for[ Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield](https://www.anthem.com/employer/industry-solutions/labor-and-trust), joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss his union upbringing and how it helped guide him to the Labor and Trust division of Anthem. He also discussed how Anthem can help Taft Hartley Funds save union members money in healthcare costs. Brandon has been with Anthem for over 13 years and has 26 years of experience on the union side. He joked that he was born with a union bug stamped on him with a father who was a Longshoreman, a mother who was a teacher and grandparents who were also union members. Brandon cut his teeth as an organizer with the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 8 and with the International for 13 years. He was offered an opportunity to join the Labor and Trust department of Anthem Healthcare where he can help more union members than he could as an organizer. Anthem is the largest Blue Cross Blue Shield company, covering over 2.3 million union members nationwide. Brandon said one in two union members are covered by Anthem, and it is Anthem’s job to make sure these members get the health care they deserve. There are over 325 different Taft Hartley Funds, and within Anthem, they have a specific Taft Hartley Labor and Trust team that works directly with Labor Unions. Brandon explained why he enjoys working with all the unions and what makes the union clients different from corporate clients. When Anthem works with a union, Taft Hartley Fund, Brandon explained how they create a unique plan to meet their members' needs. When making these plans, he explained how the methods have changed for Anthem to provide the best possible plan and lowest cost for their union clients. Brandon explained how Anthem can negotiate down the costs with hospitals to reduce the costs paid by their union clients. Through Anthem, Brandon said unions can set themselves apart from the non-union sector with the best health care in the industry. For more on Anthem and their Labor and Trust division, listen to the show above. --- America’s Work Force is the only daily labor podcast in the US and has been on the air since 1993, supplying listeners with useful, relevant input into their daily lives through fact-finding features, in-depth interviews, informative news segments and practical consumer reports. America’s Work Force is committed to providing an accessible venue in which America's workers and their families can hear discussion on important, relevant topics such as employment, healthcare, legislative action, labor-management relations, corporate practices, finances, local and national politics, consumer reports and labor issues. America’s Work Force Union Podcast is brought to you in part by our sponsors: AFL-CIO, American Federation of Government Employees, American Federation of Musicians Local 4, Alliance for American Manufacturing, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes-IBT, Boyd Watterson, Columbus/Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council, Communication Workers of America, Mechanical Insulators Labor Management Cooperative Trust, International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers Local 50, International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Crafts, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 6, Ironworkers Great Lakes District Council, Melwood, The Labor Citizen newspaper, Laborers International Union of North America, The National Labor Office of Blue Cross and Blue Shield, North Coast Area Labor Federation, Ohio Federation of Teachers, United Labor Agency, United Steelworkers. - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) ##### SUBSCRIBE ON: --- [![Group 342](https://awf.labortools.com/hs-fs/hubfs/AmericasWorkForce/podcast%20logos/Apple%20Podcasts%20Button-Dark.png?width=171&name=Apple%20Podcasts%20Button-Dark.png)](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/americas-work-force-union-podcast/id1511224946) [![Group 341](https://awf.labortools.com/hs-fs/hubfs/AmericasWorkForce/podcast%20logos/Spotify%20Button-Dark.png?width=100&name=Spotify%20Button-Dark.png)](https://open.spotify.com/show/0GzkHxFSBxiXvuX0lZpQBn) [![Group 343](https://awf.labortools.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Group%20343.png?width=135&name=Group%20343.png)](https://www.iheart.com/podcast/americas-work-force-union-podcast-62567752/) [![Group 339](https://awf.labortools.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Group%20339.png?width=110&name=Group%20339.png)](https://www.pandora.com/podcast/americas-work-force-union-podcast/PC:47979) [![Group 397](https://awf.labortools.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Group%20397.png?width=125&name=Group%20397.png)](https://americasworkforceradiopodcast.podbean.com/) [![Group 397](https://awf.labortools.com/hs-fs/hubfs/YouTube_button.png?width=125&name=YouTube_button.png)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuQo1PAtRAel1_tS7-PQOkA)   #### [Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen on the Union Pacific Merger Threat](https://awf.labortools.com/listen/brotherhood-of-railroad-signalmen-on-the-union-pacific-merger-threat) : July 6, 2026 # Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen on the Union Pacific Merger Threat Brandon Elvey, Secretary-Treasurer of the [Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen](https://www.brs.org/),... 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