Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska (BCBSNE) is providing an incentive for its employees to receive the COVID-19 vaccine through the company’s wellness program, Be Well at Blue.

Be Well at Blue empowers employees to focus on their health goals by:

  • Tracking preventive health exams
  • Competing in wellness challenges
  • Completing trainings and certifications, like CPR, first aid and nutrition courses
  • And more

Employees earn points through the Be Well at Blue platform for each activity. Points are totaled at the end of the year, and those who meet threshold levels receive financial rewards for focusing on their wellness.

With the COVID-19 vaccine available, BCBSNE’s wellness team added an additional opportunity for employees to earn points toward their year-end reward by tracking their vaccinations.

“Our wellness program already rewards employees for taking care of their health through preventive actions, like getting their flu shot,” Kathy Nellor, BCBSNE health transformation leader, said. “Adding the ability to earn points for COVID-19 vaccination is a natural extension of the program.”

If an employee is unable to receive the COVID-19 vaccine due to health reasons, they can still earn the points by providing a doctor’s note.

Employees are not required to get the vaccine to meet point thresholds for rewards since Be Well at Blue enables employees to create their own path to wellness by participating in the program offerings that appeal to them.

“As a health industry leader, we have a responsibility to our state, community and employees to do our part in ending the pandemic,” Nellor said. “Providing this vaccine incentive to employees is an easy step we can take to support vaccination efforts.”

The list of companies offering vaccine incentives, like Trader Joe’s and Target, keeps growing, according to BenefitNews.com. Other Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies are offering incentives to their employees as well, including:

  • CareFirst, which will donate $100 through its Better Together campaign for every employee who takes the COVID-19 vaccine pledge
  • BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, which has extended its leave policy to include paid time off for employees to get the vaccine and with a manager’s approval, time to volunteer at an approved vaccination administration site

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