BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee charitable giving in the Chattanooga area topped $2.78 million last year, representing more than one fourth off the $10.48 million given to organizations across the state by the Chattanooga-based health insurer during 2016.
Included in the company’s 2016 local giving tally is a $500,000-plus donation to the United Way of Greater Chattanooga.
“A big part of what makes us different is the fact that we truly are ‘of Tennessee’, and our focus on the Volunteer State extends to our community impact,” Roy Vaughn, chief communications officer for BlueCross and executive director of the BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Health Foundation, said in a statement today. “We are proud that our support has benefited people in all 95 counties because we also serve people in every corner of the state.”
Beyond financial support, approximately two-thirds of Chattanooga-based BlueCross employees volunteered their time to local causes in 2016.
The company’s philanthropic efforts, led by the BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Health Foundation, center on three key goals: increasing access to health care for all Tennesseans, helping address the problem of addiction and substance abuse statewide, and supporting efforts to help residents increase their levels of physical activity.