New BlueCross unit in Nashville to bring 60 jobs

Metro, Nissan are among its clients By Getahn Ward • THE TENNESSEAN • April 22, 2009 BlueCross BlueShield said it opened a member benefits administration unit office in Nashville this week, a move that should expand its staff here by 60 people. The state's largest health insurer, based out of Chattanooga, already employed 100 people at its Nashville offices off West End Avenue. Employees being added with the new unit here will include claims processors consumer advisors, research associates and analysts that would administer member benefits for the State of Tennessee, Nissan, Metro government and Metro teachers accounts, BlueCross said in a prepared statement. The expansion is designed to help the insurer to attract staff for current and future operations from the growing Nashville market, one of the nation's main health-care hubs, officials said. "This is an exciting opportunity for us," said Venessa Marsh, who oversees member benefits administration operations for the State, Tennessee Valley Authority and Metro accounts in Chattanooga and would manage the new operations in Nashville. Current BlueCross employees will be offered the new positions first, Marsh said. The new unit began operations Monday and the expansion would continue in phases over the coming months, BlueCross said. Member support for TVA will remain in Chattanooga. Before the latest expansion, the 100 employees at BlueCross' Nashville offices worked in areas such as marketing, account management, provider relations, medical review, client services, government relations, long-term care and CoverTN. Commercial operations including member benefits administration were located in Chattanooga and Memphis.