NewsCenter for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona

After more than 30 years in my career, and well before the pandemic, I was unconvinced that a remote or hybrid workforce could really work for us. In fact, many things I thought I knew about culture, collaboration in a workplace setting, relationships with customers, and people’s capacity for change, came crashing down … in the best possible way.

There are many adjectives that could be used to describe each of the Most Influential Women in Arizona Business for 2021. Intelligent. Inventive. Independent. But also supportive.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona (BCBSAZ), through its Mobile AZ Initiative, has granted $565,000 to seven community organizations throughout the state that provide programs and services to address substance use disorders with at least one of three complicating factors: COVID-19, social determinants of health and/or co-occurring mental health conditions. Between 2017 and 2021, Arizona has seen an estimated 65,982 opioid overdoses resulting in 9,053 deaths.

Christ said the department coordinated with Blue Cross Blue Shield and the Arizona Diamondbacks on a vaccination event on Saturday, June 5, at Chase Field. Arizonans 12 and older who get the Pfizer vaccine got a chance to run the bases and got a free ticket to a future Diamondbacks game.

During the past year, mental health has worsened due to the pandemic and various associated stressors, especially within our youth population. According to a 2021 State of Mental Health in America report, youth between the ages of 11 and 17 have been more likely than any other age group to experience moderate to severe symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Even as a child, Deanna Salazar knew what she wanted out of a career—opportunities to help improve others’ lives. Today, she fulfills that passion in her role as chief administration officer and general counsel at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona (BCBSAZ), as well as through her various positions as a board member for organizations such as Teach For America and Expect More (now known as College Success Arizona). These opportunities have enabled her to drive change at both the individual and community level.

In an effort to reach those who have not received the COVID-19 vaccine yet, the state has partnered with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona to hold a free vaccination event at Chase Field on Saturday, June 5 -- and free baseball tickets are up for grabs.

The Arizona Coyotes Foundation recently announced that it has partnered with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona and Sharecare to launch a “Small Business Spotlight” initiative that will highlight five Arizona-based small businesses during the 2021-22 NHL season.

Youth4Youth recently received a grant for more than $80,000 from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona to implement school-based prevention programs and establish a Drug-Free Communities Coalition.

Buck, an integrated HR and benefits consulting, technology, and administration services firm, today announced that it was selected by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Arizona (BCBSAZ) to provide a range of retirement, actuarial, and Other Post-Employment Benefits (OPEB) consulting services.

Pyx Health, a tech-enabled services company that provides health plans and their members an innovative, scalable solution that effectively addresses the nation's critical loneliness epidemic, announced today that it has contracted with Health Choice Arizona to combat loneliness and social isolation among the plan's most vulnerable members.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona (BCBS Arizona) has seen a 4,800 percent increase in telemedicine use among its 1.7 million patient members.

A Glendale organization is one of seven throughout the state to which Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona is granting $565,000 to provide programs and services to address substance use disorders.

As a number of states open vaccine eligibility to more adults, Blues insurers across the country are aiming to be a community resource to ensure shots are administered.

If you are an allergy sufferer, Dr. James Napoli with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona recommends staying indoors and trying to avoid pollen altogether.

The subsidy expansion under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 could allow more than 89,000 uninsured Arizonans to be eligible for health insurance plans with lower or no-cost premiums, according to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona (BCBSAZ).

Here are the Top 10 healthiest employers in Arizona, based on public voting for the 2021 edition of Ranking Arizona, the state’s biggest and most comprehensive business opinion poll.

At the heart of the effort are the volunteers—nearly 400 each day—staffed, organized and managed by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona (BCBSAZ) in an unprecedented public-private partnership.

3. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona partnered with the state to help staff and manage hundreds of volunteers at two of the state's three mass vaccination sites.

“If you do contract COVID between the first and second shots, the first thing I’ll say is, absolutely get the second shot,” says Dr. Piyush Gupta. He says patients do need to wait for their 10- to 14-day quarantine to end, but do not need to test negative prior to getting their second dose.

Currently, the recommendation is to wait a minimum of two weeks after you get another type of vaccine (for flu, pneumonia, shingles, etc.) before you get the COVID shot. We wanted to know why there was that mandatory two-week waiting period, so we took that question to Dr. Piyush Gupta.

The Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) is pleased to announce that Chandler-Gilbert Community College (CGCC) has transitioned to an Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS)-run COVID-19 vaccination point-of-dispensing (POD) site.