In October and November of 2021, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee (BCBST) terminated 41 of their employees after BCBST implemented a COVID-19 “vaccine” mandate for 900 “customer facing roles.” Many of these 900 employees who were not “customer facing” were full time telecommuters and had been working from home during the entire pandemic. The livelihoods of these 900 employees were threatened if they refused to comply with BCBST’s vaccine mandate, regardless of the fact that the COVID-19 mRNA “vaccine” is experimental, and BCBST inappropriately interfered with their employees’ personal vaccination decisions.
Many of these employees who held the so called “customer facing roles” were already full time telecommuters prior to the pandemic. Many of the 900 complied, albeit unwillingly for some, to keep their jobs. Of the remaining employees, they were given 30 days to comply with BCBST’s vaccine mandate, or their “positions would be reevaluated.” At the end of that 30 days, however, their positions were not “reevaluated.” The remaining employees who refused to take the COVID-19 “vaccine” were fired immediately. BCBST hid behind the guise of the potentially upcoming federal mandate and required the COVID-19 “vaccine” of these 900 employees before knowing the outcome of the federal mandate.
Many submitted requests for religious exemptions and reasonable accommodations. Rather than provide a reasonable accommodation such as a telecommuting option (an option that was currently in place and was continuing for the entire year) or a testing option, BCBST’s response was that you have 30 days to change your religious beliefs and get the shot, find a new job, or be fired.
BlueCross BlueShield’s response was that you have 30 days to change your religious beliefs and get the shot, find a new job, or be fired…BCBST’s position was clear: NO JAB, NO JOB.
Religious exemptions were ignored.
In October 2021, nineteen employees were terminated because they refused to accept such a disingenuous “accommodation.” In November 2021, twenty-two additional employees were fired weeks ahead of a Tennessee law being passed to prevent BCBST from moving forward with the mandate. From the beginning of these forced vaccination campaigns, BlueCross BlueShield’s position was clear: NO JAB, NO JOB. Religious exemptions were ignored, and no attempt was made to retain these employees, some of whom served BCBST for more than two decades.
Below is a date-ordered accurate list of events pertaining to the actions of BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee (BCBST) during the COVID-19 pandemic, reported by Tennessee Conservative News (Chattanoogan is sourced twice).
November, 2, 2021
Medical Mandates And The “Comply Or Die” Administration – And Response (4)
https://www.chattanoogan.com/2021/11/2/437746/Holly-Abernathy-Medical-Mandates-And.aspx
November 4, 2021
800 BCBS Employees Will Lose Jobs If Lee Doesn’t Sign Medical Freedom Bill
November 8, 2021
BlueCross BlueShield Of TN Mandates Vaccines Even For Remote Workers
January 5, 2022
Unpredictable BlueCross BlueShield – And Response
https://www.chattanoogan.com/2022/1/5/441046/Unpredictable-BlueCross-BlueShield–.aspx
January 11, 2022
Vaccine Mandates And The “Comply or Die” Administration
https://tennesseeconservativenews.com/vaccine-mandates-and-the-comply-or-die-administration
May 25, 2022
Chattanooga Woman Denied Religious Exemption And Fired Sues BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee
August 15, 2022
BlueCross BlueShield Of Tennessee Employees Fired Over Vaccine Mandate Organize Lawsuit
https://tennesseeconservativenews.com/bluecross-blueshield-of-tennessee-employees-fired-over-vaccine-mandate-organize-lawsuit
November 4, 2022
One Year Anniversary of BlueCross BlueShield Of Tennessee Employees Fired Over Vaccine Mandate
June 13, 2023
Tennessee Court Upholds Employee Rights To Petition Lawmakers In BlueCross BlueShield Case
September 8, 2023
One Year Anniversary of BlueCross BlueShield Of Tennessee Employees Fired Over Vaccine Mandate
July 8, 2024
Fired BlueCross BlueShield Of Tennessee Employee Awarded $680K In Covid-19 Vaccine Lawsuit
February 3, 2025
BlueCross BlueShield Of Tennessee, In Final Ruling, Ordered To Pay Over $502 Thousand In COVID Lawsuit
March 31, 2025
Tennessee Supreme Court Sides With BlueCross BlueShield In COVID Vaccination Lawsuit
April 24, 2025
BlueCross BlueShield Of Tennessee Employees Fired Over Vaccine Mandate To Settle Case Before Going To Federal Court, Lead Plaintiff Dropped