Blue Shield of California will lay off 140 employees at the end of January, according to a notice the company filed with California's economic development department Dec. 29.
The affected employees are based at several different offices, including the payer's headquarters in Oakland, El Dorado Hills and Rancho Cordova.
In a statement shared with Becker's, a Blue Shield of California spokesperson said the company is reducing its staff by 140, around 2% of its total workforce.
"As a nonprofit health plan, Blue Shield of California is driven by its mission to provide access to quality health care that's sustainably affordable for all," the spokesperson said. "This includes reducing administrative costs, operating efficiently, and ensuring we have the right talent, skills, and capabilities in place."
Blue Shield offered affected employees access to a program that allows them to stay in their role for up to 90 days while receiving career coaching for job searching and skill development, the spokesperson said.
The company's notice to California authorities indicated the company eliminated 165 positions. Of those workers, more than 20 found new roles within Blue Shield of California, the spokesperson said.
Blue Shield of California laid off 373 employees in January 2023. Several large payers have reduced their workforces in the past year.