Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and its subsidiaries terminated 250 of its more than 10,000 employees after they refused to get vaccinated against COVID-19 by the company's Jan. 4 deadline, a spokesperson told Becker's.
The payer announced its vaccination requirement Oct. 29, which resulted in 1,900 previously unvaccinated employees either needing to get the shot or an approved exemption. The spokesperson told Becker's that 96 percent of its employees are fully vaccinated, but did not provide figures on how many received a medical or religious exemption.
"We value and respect all our employees and recognize there are strong and diverse views on the issue of the vaccine, and on the issue of mandating it," Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan said in a statement. "We did not arrive at this decision lightly. We also recognize our responsibility to do our part, as a healthcare leader, to finish the fight against COVID-19 in our communities."
The payer saw its first signs of resistance to the vaccine mandate in December after a handful of employees working for both Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and its subsidiary, the Accident Fund, filed labor complaints.