Tufts Health Plan Earns Highest Rating Possible in 2020 Corporate Equality Index

WATERTOWN, Mass., Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- For the fourth consecutive year, Tufts Health Plan received a perfect score of 100 percent on the 2020 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), the nation's premier benchmarking survey and report on corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ workplace equality, administered by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation. Tufts Health Plan is among 686 major U.S. businesses that earned top marks this year.

"Diversity and inclusion drive innovation in the workplace, and by creating a work environment where employees feel heard and respected, they are given their best chance to succeed," said Lydia Greene, Tufts Health Plan's senior vice president and chief human resources officer. "This is at the very core of our business, and I am proud to see our employees leading initiatives throughout the organization that encourage an inclusive, collaborative community. We are deeply honored to receive this distinction from the Human Rights Campaign for the fourth consecutive year, as it reflects our company values and the work we do every day."

Tufts Health Plan took on a number of initiatives in 2019 related to the LGBTQ community in an effort to build a more inclusive environment for its members and employees, which included:

• The company's first-ever Unconscious Bias Day, an employee-led event highlighting the effects of unconscious bias in the workplace and exploring techniques to counter them.
• Educational and interactive company-wide events addressing important topics like how to be an ally, transitioning in the workplace and supporting people at risk for suicide, hosted by our LGBTQ business resource group.
• Raising the Transgender Pride Flag, for the first time, to honor Transgender Awareness Week, which celebrates and advocates for transgender and gender non-conforming communities.
• Leading a workshop on transgender services at the First Event Conference, sponsored by the Trans Club of New England, a long-standing conference for transgender and gender non-conforming individuals.

"The impact of the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index over its 18-year history is profound. In this time, the corporate community has worked with us to adopt LGBTQ-inclusive policies, practices and benefits, establishing the Corporate Equality Index as a primary driving force for LGBTQ workplace inclusion in America and across the globe," said HRC President Alphonso David. "These companies know that protecting their LGBTQ employees and customers from discrimination is not just the right thing to do -- it is also the best business decision. In addition, many of these leaders are also advocating for the LGBTQ community and equality under the law in the public square. From supporting LGBTQ civil rights protections in the U.S. through HRC's Business Coalition for the Equality Act, to featuring transgender and non-binary people in an ad in Argentina, to advocating for marriage equality in Taiwan -- businesses understand their LGBTQ employees and customers deserve to be seen, valued and respected not only at work, but in every aspect of daily life."

The 2020 CEI evaluates non-discrimination policies, employment benefits, organizational competency and accountability around LGBTQ diversity and inclusion, public commitment to LGBTQ equality and responsible citizenship. Tufts Health Plan's efforts in satisfying all of the CEI's criteria results in a 100 percent ranking and the designation as a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality.

The full report is available online at www.hrc.org/cei. The Human Rights Campaign Foundation is the educational arm of America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual transgender and queer people. HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work and in every community.

About Tufts Health Plan
Tufts Health Plan is nationally recognized for its commitment to providing innovative, high-quality health care coverage.  Staying true to our mission of improving the health and wellness of the diverse communities we serve, we touch the lives of more than 1.16 million members in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Connecticut through employer-sponsored plans; Medicare; Medicaid and Marketplace plans, offering health insurance coverage across the life span regardless of age or circumstance. We are continually among the top health plans in the country based on quality and member satisfaction. Our Tufts Medicare Preferred HMO and Senior Care Options plans received a 5-star rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the highest rating possible.* Our commercial HMO/POS and Massachusetts PPO plans are rated 5 out of 5 – the highest rating possible – by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).** Our Medicaid plan is rated 4.5 out of a possible 5.***

To learn more about how we're redefining what a health plan can do, visit www.tuftshealthplan.com/whatwedo.  Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn.

*Every year, Medicare evaluates plans based on a 5-Star rating system. Star Ratings are calculated each year and may change from one year to the next. For more information on plan ratings, go to www.medicare.gov. Tufts Medicare Preferred HMO plans received 5 out of 5 stars for contract years 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020.
**NCQA's Private Health Insurance Plan Ratings 2019–2020
***NCQA's Medicaid Health Insurance Plan Ratings 2019-2020.  

Contact: Sonya Hagopian
[email protected] 
617-972-1090

SOURCE Tufts Health Plan