Highmark Business Operations Preparedness

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Highmark has put into place certain procedures and work models to ensure the safety of our employees and the stability of our company. That way, even in a time of crisis, you’ll experience no disruption to the service that’s been a benchmark of trust in our communities for more than 80 years. The attached FAQ will give you an overview of what we’re doing to make sure business runs smoothly during the COVID-19 outbreak and beyond. We’re prepared for this. And we’re here to make sure you’re prepared, too. 

First, know that we’ve been prepared for this.

Highmark has a corporate policy that governs our Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Planning processes so that we can respond quickly and decisively to potentially disruptive events and continue to meet the needs of the communities we serve. Here’s how some of those processes have been put into action in the past weeks. 

 

Frequently Asked Questions

How are you protecting the health of Highmark employees?

Starting Thursday, March 19, 2020, all Highmark employees were granted approval to work-from-home full-time, and issued the equipment they needed to do their jobs easily outside of our corporate offices. This provides some necessary social distancing for them, and a seamless service experience for you. 

Will you call centers be able to handle the increased volume of calls?

During this time, it’s essential that all member questions are promptly answered — so we’ve moved all non-business-critical personnel to off-hour shifts to accommodate the anticipated increase in call volumes. Our call centers are a top priority. 

Do you have the network bandwidth to do this for an extended period of time?

Yes, we have confirmed with our internet service provider that we have the capacity to support long-term remote work. We are continuously monitoring our network bandwidth and will make adjustments as needed. Our network is secure and requires two-factor authentication to gain access. 

Is your data center secure?

Yes. Our Tier III data center is certified for service continuity by the Health Insurance Trust Alliance (HITRUST) and ISO20000-1. We use a nationally recognized recovery services vendor to recover critical systems and services, and we exercise our corporate disaster recovery plans on an annual basis. 

What are you doing to support providers during this time?

To relieve pressure on Emergency Departments, private practices, and urgent care facilities, we’ve increased access to telemedicine and to testing via drive-up COVID-19 testing sites. 

Should I or my employees follow any different procedures with questions during this time?

Please continue to use the normal channels to get answers to your questions. For you that means contacting your Highmark Client Manager. Your employees can access their member portal or call the Member Services number on the back of their Highmark ID card.