Premera employees participated in an American Diabetes Association event earlier this year.

Premera Blue Cross

"Premera is a very caring company," says one of its 2,800 Washington state employees. "They care about their associates, their customers and doing the right thing." The Mountlake Terrace-based insurance provider, which covers more than 1.4 million people in Washington, makes a healthy workforce central to its focus as an employer. Its "Know Your Numbers" campaign provides on-site mammograms, flu shots and biometric testing, and the company offers healthy food choices by inviting local organic farmers to set up shop on campus. And they have a continuing partnership with Seattle chef Tom Douglas to offer a "Made from Scratch" series of cooking classes for employees and their families at Douglas' Palace Kitchen, teaching them how to stock a nutritious kitchen and prepare wholesome meals. Says another satisfied employee, "I've never worked for a company who values their employees and their families as much as Premera does."

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