Unity in purpose: The shared values of Humana and unions

Organizations need to offer more than high-quality products and services to attract and retain members. A positive experience is critical to building long-lasting relationships and fostering trust. That’s why Humana makes sure it delivers the benefits members value most, from dental coverage to prescription drug plans. This commitment to exceptional customer care is reflected in a number of industry accolades, including:

• Ranked #1 in customer satisfaction in the 2024 American Customer Satisfaction survey*
• Recognized as one of People Magazine’s 100 companies that care in 2024**

Similarly, unions go to great lengths to keep members happy and healthy. Using their collective bargaining power, unions ensure members have access to excellent healthcare benefits, higher wages and improved workplace conditions. A 2023 Gallup survey reveals that 50% of union members consider their membership in a union “extremely important,” up from 40% in 2022.²

While Medicare generally covers inpatient hospital care, certain doctors’ services and medical supplies, Humana knows retirees deserve more comprehensive coverage. Humana’s Group Medicare Advantage plans can provide retirees with life essentials not covered by basic Medicare plans, including:

• Dental, vision and hearing care
• Prescription drug coverage
• Gym memberships
• Meal delivery services
• Controlled and consistent costs
• Access to one of the nation’s largest provider networks

Unions also work to surpass retirees’ expectations by ensuring members remain healthy, happy and financially secure throughout their retirement. This starts by providing retirees with access to Group Medicare Advantage and its comprehensive coverage. What’s more, unions are nearly 23% more likely to offer an employer-provided retirement plan, and, on average, spend about 28% more on retirement plans than non-union employers, ensuring greater retirement security.³

Volunteering is a time-honored tradition in America and a powerful means for finding purpose, learning new skills, improving the lives of others and connecting with the community. In keeping with this spirit, Humana’s full-time employees receive eight hours of paid volunteer time off each year. In 2024, over 18,000 Humana employees found ways to give back to their communities by rolling up their sleeves and volunteering for over 136,000 total hours.⁴

Similarly, the union movement has deep roots in volunteerism, as many of its early leaders organized workers during off-hours—and without pay—to protest poor working conditions. Today, unions are more likely to donate to charity, contribute to neighborhood projects and volunteer their time compared to non-union workers.⁵ Initiatives range from raising funds for charitable organizations and conducting food drives to rebuilding impoverished neighborhoods. In fact, many unions view retirement as a prime opportunity for members to stay connected with the community and make meaningful contributions.

Diversity is at the core of every successful organization. Employees from diverse backgrounds can inspire creativity, encourage a variety of worldview perspectives and drive innovation—lessons that can be carried long into retirement. But growing diverse talent within a workforce requires the right set of strategies.

A perfect example is Humana’s decision to connect with recruitment sources, such as the Disability Hiring Program, Mature Workers Initiative and Veterans Hiring Initiative, to create pathways for diverse professionals to join the company.⁶ Other diversity-focused initiatives at Humana include investing $357 million with diverse suppliers, participating in group mentorship programs like Catalyst’s Men Advocating Real Change Dialogue Teams⁷ and providing employees with cultural competency professional development.

Supporting underrepresented and marginalized communities is of equal importance to today’s unions. In fact, Black workers are more likely to be union members (11.8%) than White workers (9.8%), Asian workers (7.8%) and Hispanic workers (9%).⁸

To promote diversity and inclusion within the workplace, many unions are adopting strategies similar to those implemented by Humana. Case in point: By implementing a targeted mentorship program and leadership development opportunities, the AFL-CIO managed to increase the representation of women in leadership roles from 15% to 30% in just five years.⁹ Unions’ collective bargaining powers also ensure that all members have access to comprehensive healthcare coverage, regardless of race, culture, gender or age.

Humana and unions have a history of strong partnerships built on shared values and common goals. Dedicated to meeting members’ needs, enhancing communities and promoting diversity, they are aligned on issues that not only improve the lives of retirees but also make for a better world.