Forty-five Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota employees will leave the company as it integrates with Cambia Health Solutions, a Cambia spokesperson confirmed to Becker’s May 27.
The spokesperson said the organizations are prioritizing “unified, cross-market teams.” The cuts affect 5% of the roughly 900-person workforce in North Dakota. Some of the retained employees will move into new roles, as well.
“We have taken a thoughtful look at how our combined organization is structured to best serve our members and communities,” the spokesperson said.
The organizations secured regulatory approval from the state for their affiliation earlier this year. They announced their intent to affiliate in 2025, adding that BCBS North Dakota employees would be considered Cambia employees. Executive leadership also shuffled amid the affiliation.
Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield, which plans to affiliate with Cambia but has not yet earned regulatory approval, recently cut 30 positions. Arkansas BCBS told Becker’s the realignment stemmed from budget allocations, not the pending strategic affiliation. The insurer began offering employee buyouts in December, too.
“As for Arkansas, right now we are focused on the regulatory approval process,” the Cambia spokesperson said when asked about possible restructuring for Arkansas BCBS.
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