Blue Cross Blue Shield

Nine stories to keep an eye on in 2019

9. Who will challenge Sen. Doug Jones in 2020? It may have been only a year ago that Doug Jones won in a historic victory that sent a Democrat from Alabama to the U.S. Senate for the first time in a quarter century, but he’s up for re-election in 2020. With that election just around the corner, … Continued

December 31, 2018

Republican State Rep. Randy Davis indicted in wide-ranging federal public corruption probe

A federal grand jury indicted another Alabama Republican lawmaker this week as part of an ongoing public corruption probe that has already seen the indictment of Rep. Jack Williams, R-Vestavia Hills. Rep. Randy Davis, R-Daphne, who is 66, was arrested and indicted Wednesday on charges of conspiracy and bribery. Prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office … Continued

July 26, 2018

Maynard Cooper & Gale fires BCA

A steady drip of withdrawals from the Business Council of Alabama last week culminated with mega-lawyer firm Maynard Cooper & Gale firing the once prominent business group as a client and leaving the organization. When BCA’s board meets today at 2 p.m, they are faced with a very different landscape than a week ago. This … Continued

June 25, 2018

The BCA mess isn’t difficult to unravel

It’s been a rough week for the Business Council of Alabama. The top lobbyist group in the state has been decimated by big-name defections. It started with Alabama Power and PowerSouth. Then Regions Bank. Then Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama. And now Protective Life Insurance. And there are strong rumors that Drummond Coal and … Continued

June 22, 2018

PowerSouth CEO explains why companies are leaving BCA

PowerSouth President and CEO Gary L. Smith may have made the most transparent case for why the state’s marquee corporations are in a steady exodus from the Business Council of Alabama. “Our problem with BCA is simply Billy Canary and his leadership,” wrote Smith in the company’s withdrawal letter to BCA Chairman Perry Hand. “Billy … Continued

June 21, 2018

A showdown is nearing for BCA’s Billy Canary

The Business Council of Alabama’s executive committee recently approved a succession plan to protect its embattled CEO Billy Canary, but when the plan was presented to a group comprised of the organization’s top members, Canary had deceptively altered the policy adopted by the committee for one more favorable to himself. Alabama Political Reporter is also … Continued

June 17, 2018

Does Volkert chairman have millions of reasons to support Canary at BCA?

Perry Hand, the chairman of Mobile-based Volkert Inc., is standing behind the Business Council of Alabama’s besieged CEO Billy Canary, while his company has seen a dramatic rise in state business that roughly coincides with his tenure on the association’s board. Could it be that Hand’s dogged support of Canary is tied to the engineering … Continued

April 23, 2018

Billy Canary out at BCA, sort of

The long-anticipated exit of the Business Council of Alabama’s C.E.O. Billy Canary was agreed upon at a recent meeting of the association’s executive board. There’s one catch — current BCA Chairman Perry Hand is fighting to keep Canary around as long as possible in hopes the storms pass and Canary lives to fight another day. … Continued

April 18, 2018

Dom Gentile advocates creating health insurance options

By Brandon Moseley Alabama Political Reporter Monday, June 5, 2017, Alabama candidate for US Senate, Dom Gentile announced his plan to give consumers more health insurance choices in states that are currently dominated by one large insurance company, such as Alabama where Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama (BCBS) has over 90 percent of the … Continued

June 6, 2017

Alabama hardest hit by Obamacare, report says

By Brandon Moseley Alabama Political Reporter Wednesday, May 24, 2017, the US Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) released a report on the rising cost of health premiums as a result of Obamacare taxes, regulations, and mandates. Alabama residents were the hardest hit on a percentage basis in the entire country. According to the … Continued

May 26, 2017