CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield (CareFirst), the largest not-for-profit health plan in the Mid-Atlantic region, has been recognized by Ethisphere, a global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices, as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies in 2023. This year’s honor marks the eleventh consecutive year CareFirst has been recognized for its commitment to high ethical business standards and practices.
“CareFirst is proud to hold the title of a World’s Most Ethical Company for the eleventh year in a row,” said Brian D. Pieninck, President and CEO of CareFirst. “High ethical standards are foundational for CareFirst’s mission and vision and is the reason we remain a trusted community partner. We don’t take this incredible recognition for granted and will continue to prioritize these factors in our business practices to advance equitable, affordable and accessible healthcare.”
CareFirst is one of just four companies representing the healthcare insurance industry on the list of 135 organizations spanning 19 countries and 49 industries. The designation recognizes strong corporate culture, business integrity and industry leadership in accountability, transparency and corporate social responsibility, all of which are CareFirst core values that guide the company’s mission: providing high quality, affordable, accessible and equitable healthcare services to people in the region.
“Ethics matters. Organizations that commit to business integrity through robust programs and practices not only elevate standards and expectations for all, but also have better long-term performance,” said Ethisphere CEO, Erica Salmon Byrne. “We continue to be inspired by the World’s Most Ethical Companies honorees and their dedication to making real impact for their stakeholders and displaying exemplary values-based leadership. Congratulations to CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield for earning a place in the World’s Most Ethical Companies community.”
In compiling this year’s list of World’s Most Ethical Companies, nominees were scored in five key categories and subcategories which were updated with input from experts and ever-changing best practices. Categories included:
- Ethics and compliance program;
- Culture of ethics;
- Leadership and reputation;
- Governance; and,
- Environmental and societal impact.
“Maintaining a strong corporate culture that prioritizes ethics, diversity and integrity isn’t achieved by any one individual, but rather an entire workforce” said P. Todd Cioni, CareFirst’s Vice President and Chief Compliance, Ethics and Privacy Officer. “We have received this recognition for eleven years in a row because of the dedication and commitment of CareFirst Difference Makers. A company is only as strong as it’s people, and I am incredibly proud to work alongside them as we identify new ways to be a good corporate partner to our communities.”
Grounded in Ethisphere’s proprietary Ethics Quotient®, the World’s Most Ethical Companies assessment process includes more than 200 questions on culture, environmental and social practices, ethics and compliance activities, governance, diversity, and initiatives that support a strong value chain. The process serves as an operating framework to capture and codify the leading practices of organizations across industries and around the globe.
The full list of the 2023 “World’s Most Ethical Companies” can be found here.
About CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield
In its 85th year of service, CareFirst, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, is a not-for-profit healthcare company which, through its affiliates and subsidiaries, offers a comprehensive portfolio of health insurance products and administrative services to 3.6 million individuals and employers in Maryland, the District of Columbia and Northern Virginia. In 2022, CareFirst invested $24.1 million to improve overall health, and increase the accessibility, affordability, safety and quality of healthcare throughout its market areas. To learn more about CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, visit our website at www.carefirst.com and our transforming healthcare page at www.carefirst.com/transformation, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or Instagram.
About Ethisphere
Ethisphere is the global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices that fuel corporate character, marketplace trust, and business success. Ethisphere has deep expertise in measuring and defining core ethics standards using data-driven insights that help companies enhance corporate character. Ethisphere honors superior achievement through its World’s Most Ethical Companies® recognition program, provides a community of industry experts with the Business Ethics Leadership Alliance (BELA), and showcases trends and best practices in ethics with Ethisphere Magazine. Ethisphere also helps to advance business performance through data-driven assessments, guidance, and benchmarking against its unparalleled data: the Culture Quotient dataset focused on ethical culture and featuring the responses of 2+ million employees around the world; and the Ethics Quotient dataset, featuring 200+ data points highlighting the ethics, compliance, social, and governance practices of the World’s Most Ethical Companies. For more information, visit https://ethisphere.com.
