Blue Cross Eliminates Jobs in Rhode Island

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Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island slashed its payroll Wednesday with 58 layoffs and the elimination of 48 other vacant positions.

WPRI.com reports it is the third round of layoffs in Rhode Island for Blue Cross Blue Shield. The insurer cut 39 jobs in September 2007 and an additional 74 jobs a year later. The latest cuts were made “to ensure BCBSRI’s financial stability” by reducing expenses and to help keep health care costs from rising further for its roughly 600,000 members,” spokeswoman Laura Calenda said.

Blue Cross still has more than 1,000 employees in Rhode Island following the 103 job cuts. It is the state’s largest health insurer.  According to WPRI, Blue Cross covered 79 percent of Rhode Island’s insured population in 2007.