Blue Cross parent axes workers on heels of Obamacare losses

Crain's Chicago Business reports:

Health Care Service Corp., the largest private employer in Chicago, laid off an undisclosed number of workers this week.

Greg Thompson, a spokesman for Chicago-based HCSC, the parent of Blue Cross health insurance plans in five states, would not say how many people were let go, where they worked or what types of jobs they had.

But in a memo obtained by Crain's, the company said its information technology group has eliminated some maintenance positions. “New external partners” instead are taking on the work. For maintenance and support, consultancies Accenture and Cognizant were bought on as “strategic business partners,” according to a separate company document.

“We determined we must shift the focus of HCSC employees from routine maintenance activities to more strategic services that develop new capabilities that ultimately improve our service to customers,” Steve Betts, the insurer's senior vice president and chief information officer, wrote in the Feb. 2 memo to employees in the Information Technology Group.

Workers who lost their jobs can apply for open positions within the company, the memo said.

Imagine that.