Wellmark earns perfect score in 2021 Corporate Equality Index Annual Human Rights Campaign Foundation's scorecard assesses LGBTQ workplace equality

DES MOINES, IA – For the fifth straight year, Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield has received a perfect score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation's 2021 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), the nation's premier benchmarking tool on corporate policies and practices impacting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer workplace equality. With a perfect score, Wellmark has earned the distinction of "Best Places to Work for LGBTQ Equality."

"We are honored to receive a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index," said Cory Harris, Wellmark's president and CEO. "Our commitment to diversity, inclusion and equality is intrinsic to our culture and the way we do business. I take pride in this recognition and am proud of our long-standing commitment to celebrate the uniqueness of every individual."

Wellmark joins the ranks of more than 750 major U.S. businesses that also earned top marks this year. The CEI evaluated companies based on their LGBTQ-related policies and practices, including non-discrimination workplace protections, equitable benefits for LGBTQ workers and families, supporting an inclusive culture and corporate social responsibility.

Wellmark has always been at the forefront of inclusivity for LGBTQ individuals in the workplace. In the late 1990s, it became one of the first organizations in Iowa to establish insurance benefits for same-sex couples. The Wellmark Inclusion Council ensures a wide range of voices provide meaningful input on company decisions, and the company's charitable efforts only support nonprofit organizations that agree with the company's Inclusion Statement.

"From the previously unimaginable impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, to a long overdue reckoning with racial injustice, 2020 was an unprecedented year. Yet, many businesses across the nation stepped up and continued to prioritize and champion LGBTQ equality," said Alphonso David, Human Rights Campaign president. "Thank you to the companies that understand protecting their LGBTQ employees and consumers from discrimination is not just the right thing to do — but the best business decision."

For more information on the 2021 Corporate Equality Index, or to download a free copy of the report, visit www.hrc.org/cei External Site.