TrailBlazer to Cut 390 Jobs

For those of you who are not familiar with Trailblazer here is a look at how the company describes itself, “TrailBlazer employees work to continually improve processes and seek ways to better serve Medicare beneficiaries and providers. TrailBlazer’s effectiveness is maximized through training, teamwork and innovation, and its employees continually strive to satisfy the needs and expectations of TrailBlazer’s customers. TrailBlazer administers the Medicare program under contracting arrangements with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). As Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC), Part A intermediary and Part B carrier, TrailBlazer administers some aspect of the Medicare program for beneficiaries and providers in virtually every state.”

The company is going to be getting rid of 390 workers over two rounds of layoffs. The job cuts are being made in two waves. The first wave will go into effect on the 26^th of October, and the second one on the 16^th of November, leaving little time between the waves of layoffs for workers to get their footing before losing more compatriots. Though it is more than enough time for displaced workers to begin the job search while they still have the comfort and security of a job.

The advance notice is, in part, because this will be a mass layoff action. For those of you who are not familiar with the idea of a mass layoff action here is a look at how the federal government defines the term, “Monthly mass layoff numbers are from establishments which have at least 50 initial claims for unemployment insurance (UI) filed against them during a 5-week period. Extended mass layoff numbers (issued quarterly) are from a subset of such establishments—where private sector nonfarm employers indicate that 50 or more workers were separated from their jobs for at least 31 days.” When a mass layoff action goes into effect a company has to take extra steps to give workers advance notice before putting them out of a job.

While this notice may be far more than is required by the federal law, that is because of the second reason for the layoff extension. The company will not be cutting back on workers until the current contract with Medicare runs out. Medicare has chosen not to renew a contract with this company and that is the reason for the job losses. For the time being the company is perusing other contracts with Medicare that may make it possible for them to keep on at least some of the workers who have been given layoff notices this week.

The job losses are set to come primarily from the offices in Dallas, Texas. For the time being the company is offering some of the workers the chance to relocate in order to keep their jobs. At the current moment the company has not said how many of the workers that it plans to make this offer to. The company has also not said anything about what kind of a severance, or other parting benefits, it hopes to offer the soon to be displaced workers in order to ease their transition onto unemployment.