Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Blue Shield of California

Blue Shield of California has a long-standing commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. It has been a part of our company’s DNA for decades. In 2021, we are renewing and expanding our efforts and challenging racism and other forms of discrimination, both inside our own walls and inside the healthcare system.

Racial disparities exist on many fronts - from obtaining health education, to receiving adequate and appropriate care, to having access to culturally competent medical professionals. We are deepening our efforts to address health inequity wherever it exists, and particularly in Black and Hispanic communities where the disparities are greater. Our comprehensive diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy is designed to drive meaningful change inside and outside our company. We are acting with intention and holding ourselves accountable.

Our commitments include:

• Championing diversity, equity, and inclusion in our workforce and our workplace. We know this works starts within our own walls, and we are taking action by accelerating career growth for our diverse employees, recruiting, hiring, and retaining diverse talent at all levels and maintaining our zero pay-ratio gap by both gender and ethnicity.
• Supporting health equity through equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. As the third-party administrator of California’s COVID-19 vaccine campaign, we are helping to ensure that vaccines are distributed equitably, efficiently and as quickly as possible to reach every corner of our state, with a focus on regions hardest hit by this public health crisis, which include communities of color.
• Aligning business growth with initiatives like supplier diversity. Our Global Business Services team continues to increase company purchases from businesses owned by people of color and women. We also invest seed money in business initiatives that are transforming health care, such as Seae Ventures, which builds and invests in early-stage healthcare companies founded by women and people of color.
• Advocating for social justice by investing in communities where we live and work. We provide funding to nonprofit groups who are trusted within communities of color to advance equity, and we are also expanding BlueSky, our signature program that funds youth mental health services, to reach more young people of color. Recently, BlueSky published a “Talking About Racism” guide to help parents and caregivers initiate and navigate discussions about race. Our Foundation continues to support nonprofits that are helping Californians disproportionately impacted by the pandemic and promoting collaborations that drive health equity. And, we continue to stand against racism in all forms, including recent attacks against Asian American communities.

As an organization with employees and members spanning diverse communities across the state, we will continue to use our voice to stand for what is right and do our part to dismantle structural racism in health care and build a just system to replace it.