COLUMBIA, S.C., March 7 /PRNewswire/ -- The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the federal government agency responsible for administration of the Medicare program, has awarded Palmetto GBA, a subsidiary of BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, a new contract expanding its role in answering 1-800-MEDICARE phone calls.
The new contract will employ 1,250 people, including 600 people to be hired in June and 650 people currently at work at Palmetto GBA in Columbia and Florence. All of the new jobs will be in Columbia. Recruiting efforts are being handled by Kelly Services in Columbia. Beginning March 28, individuals interested in applying for a customer service representative position can email their resume to kelly.services@bcbssc.com or call Kelly Services at (803) 798-0765.
As the volume of calls jumped due to beneficiaries seeking information as a result of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003, Palmetto GBA last year was awarded a one-year contract to be one of two contractors answering the 1-800-MEDICARE Help Line. Palmetto GBA handled about 25 percent of the national volume of calls.
Palmetto’s new contract is for two years, beginning in May, and will enable it to continue answering the phone lines and increases its calls to 50 percent of the national call volume. Under the first contract, Palmetto GBA has handled 1.5 million calls.
Palmetto GBA began work 36 years ago to administer Medicare benefits in South Carolina. Currently it administers Medicare benefits in numerous states. In 2004, Palmetto GBA processed 111 million claims, responded to 4.5 million customer inquiries, and paid over $23 billion in benefits on behalf of 8.7 million Medicare beneficiaries throughout the United States. Palmetto GBA employs over 3,500 people at its headquarters in Columbia, S.C., and regional offices in Florida, Georgia, Illinois, North Carolina, Ohio and South Carolina.
Palmetto GBA
CONTACT: Media, Elizabeth Hammond of Palmetto GBA, +1-803-264-4626