Outsourcing boosts Highmark Health’s workforce

PENNSYLVANIA, UNITED STATES — Healthcare provider Highmark Health has fortified its workforce through outsourcing, which is also helping boost its revenues.

Highmark Health recently laid off 108 employees, including 40 in Pennsylvania, where it employs around 3,500. The firm has been criticized for replacing its local workers with outsourced talent from foreign countries.

In response, Karen Hanlon, the chief financial officer for Highmark Health, noted that the company added 6,100 employees in 2023, increasing its workers to 44,000. Some 40,000 of these employees are based in the United States.

Hanlon pointed out how imperative outsourcing is “to make sure that we’re able to operate on a 24/7, 365 day [per year] basis, to serve the customers we have who expect that sort of service.”

Additionally, the firm recorded a 5% growth in revenues of $27.1 billion and a net income of $533 million in 2023, citing strong performance across its business units.

Inpatient discharges and observations rose by 7%, outpatient registrations increased by 5%, physician visits grew by 3%, and emergency room visits climbed by 6%.

Also, the company’s insurance plan membership increased by 32% over the past decade, reaching approximately seven million members across Pennsylvania, Delaware, West Virginia, and western New York.

“It is our unique diversified business model and financial discipline that enable us to focus on long-term investment in our transformation strategy, our communities, and our customers, members and patients,” stated Carl Daley, Highmark Health Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer.