Oakland, Calif., (March 27, 2019) – Blue Shield of California has set new targets to dramatically increase the amount of business it does with suppliers of goods and services from diverse businesses, including those owned by minorities, women, disabled veterans and the LGBTQ+ community.
“If our mission is to provide quality affordable healthcare worthy of our family and friends and sustainably affordable, then we must also do our share to make a greater impact in the communities where we operate and live,” said Pradip Khemani, Senior Director of Global Business Services at Blue Shield of California.
Blue Shield’s target for diverse supplier spend is 12 percent of its procurement budget by 2023, up from about four percent in 2018. This means millions of dollars in incremental economic opportunities for these business owners compared to $28 million in supplier diversity spend in 2018.
The company’s headquarters’ relocation to Oakland, California, in 2019 is a new opportunity to engage diversity run businesses. The company is meeting with minority-owned, diverse suppliers and small businesses at a breakfast on with Blue Shield employees on March 27th to share how to do business with Blue Shield.
Qualified diverse supplier businesses include those that are certified or want to be certified by:
Minority-owned business enterprises (MBE)
National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC): www.nmsdc.org
Women-owned business enterprises (WBE)
Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC): www.wbenc.org
Women / Minority Business Enterprises (WMBE)
CPUC Supplier Clearinghouse: www.sdbnetwork.com/SDBNetwork/Affiliates/CPUC/
Small Business Enterprises (SBE)
U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA): www.sba.gov
Office of Small Business Certification and Resources
California Department of General Services: www.osmb.dgs.ca.gov
Disabled Veteran Business Enterprises (DVBE)
Office of Small Business and DVBE Certification (OSDC): www.pd.dgs.ca.gov
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT)
National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce: www.nglcc.org
Blue Shield purchases a vast array of services in their regular operations, and the top categories are
- Professional Services such as event planning, catering, language translations, etc.
- Advertising and Marketing including promotional items
- Consulting
- Information Technology
- Human Resources
- Facilities
- Office Supplies
Suppliers who wish to do business with Blue Shield and are certified or working to obtain certification as a diverse supplier will be given key consideration during the procurement process.
To learn more about Blue Shield’s Supplier Diversity program, click here or visit the Supplier Diversity page under Corporate Citizenship page at https://www.blueshieldca.com/about.
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About Blue Shield of California
Blue Shield of California, an independent member of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, is a nonprofit health plan with 4 million members, 6,800 employees and more than $17 billion in annual revenue. Founded in 1939 and headquartered in San Francisco, Blue Shield of California and its affiliates provide health, dental, vision, Medicaid and Medicare health care service plans in California. The company’s mission is to ensure all Californians have access to high-quality care at an affordable price. Blue Shield has contributed more than $450 million to Blue Shield of California Foundation since 2002. Contact your local agent or broker about Blue Shield of California products and services, or visit www.blueshieldca.com