Blue Cross Creates 'Returning to the Workplace' Toolkit to Assist Employers

BATON ROUGE – As more Louisiana businesses reopen and staff return to the workplace following the state’s COVID-19 stay-at-home order, many employers are looking for guidance on how to do so safely.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana has created an online, multimedia toolkit for Louisiana employers to address common questions and share information from medical directors and others.

Topics covered in the toolkit include:

• Videos from Blue Cross Senior Medical Director Dr. Dee Barfield describing important safety precautions to take for workplace health, since there is no test currently available to say if it’s safe to come back to work (2:41) and on why it’s important to wear face masks in public, including public or crowded areas of a workplace (1:09).
• Sample posters that can be displayed in workplaces to promote steps for health and safety, including wearing face masks, keeping six feet apart from others, washing hands often and staying home if you are sick.
• Mental health resources for employees who may be feeling stressed, fearful or anxious.
• Information from Blue Cross Health Economist Mike Bertaut on how to find affordable healthcare coverage through healthcare.gov, Medicaid, Medicare or private health plans, including short-term medical plan options for qualified individuals. 
• Protocol that Blue Cross medical directors developed for responding to employees who are diagnosed with or exposed to COVID-19 and self-quarantine guidelines they can follow.
• A message to employers from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana President & CEO I. Steven Udvarhelyi, M.D.

The toolkit is available online as a free resource for Louisiana businesses, at https://employers.bcbsla.com/workplace-return.

In addition to the videos included in the toolkit, employers can visit the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana YouTube page to see short videos with the clinical team and others discussing various health topics. Subscribe to know when new videos are added. Employers can also connect with Blue Cross on social media for regular updates.

For information on what Blue Cross is doing for members during COVID-19, visit www.bcbsla.com/covid19.

About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana is committed to our mission to improve the health and lives of Louisianians. Founded in New Orleans in 1934, we are a tax-paying nonprofit health insurer with offices in every major region to serve our customers. We were recognized in 2019 as an honoree of The Civic 50, named by Points of Light as one of the 50 most community-minded companies in the United States.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. We are a private mutual company, owned by our policyholders, with an independent Louisiana Board of Directors and no shareholders. We invite all Louisianians to visit our website at www.bcbsla.com or talk to us on social media.