Grievance Procedure
Raising a Concern
Trust is one of our core values, and part of earning it is making sure there’s a clear, safe way to tell us when something has gone wrong. If something we did, or didn’t do, has affected you, we want to hear about it. This page explains how to reach us and what you can expect from us after you do.
Who can raise a concern
This process is open to anyone affected by how we work. That includes the organizations we partner with, their employees and plan members, the carriers and vendors we work alongside, community partners, job applicants, and anyone else who feels our actions have affected them. Members of our own team can use this process or the one in our employee handbook, whichever feels right.
What you can raise
A concern can be about anything connected to how we operate. It might be how you or someone on your team was treated, a decision or recommendation we made, something that felt unfair, an ethical or legal concern, or a gap between what we say we value and what we actually did. If you’re not sure whether it counts, please send it anyway. If it turns out to be something we can’t address through this process, we’ll tell you why and point you toward someone who can help.
If your concern is about a claim or coverage decision made by an insurance carrier, we’ll still help. That’s part of our everyday advocacy work, and you can reach us directly at hello@blackbirdbenefits.org.
How to reach us
You can share a concern through our [online form] or by emailing kc@blackbirdbenefits.org directly. You can also call us at 971-521-4041. If you’d like to share it in another language or format, let us know and we’ll do our best to make that work.
You’re welcome to include your name and contact information, or to stay anonymous. If you stay anonymous, we’ll still look into what you share, but we won’t be able to follow up with you or let you know how it was resolved.
Please don’t include medical details, diagnoses, or insurance ID numbers in the form or email. If your concern involves your health information, just tell us how to reach you and we’ll follow up through a secure channel.
What happens next
We’ll confirm we received your concern within 7 business days. Kristen Cooper reviews every concern personally and will reach out if we need more information. Within 10 business days, we’ll share what we’ve learned and what we plan to do about it.
If making it right takes longer, we’ll check in with you at least every four weeks until it’s resolved. We aim to close most concerns within 30 days. Some situations are more complicated. When that happens, we’ll tell you and give you a realistic timeline rather than leaving you waiting.
When your concern is resolved, we’ll let you know what we did and that we’re closing it out. If we decide it isn’t something we can act on, we’ll explain why.
Confidentiality
We share what you tell us only with the people who need to know in order to look into it and make it right.
No retaliation
Raising a concern will never cost you anything with us. We won’t treat you, your organization, or your team any differently because you spoke up. Anyone on our team who retaliates against someone for raising a concern will be held accountable.
How we stay accountable
Every concern is logged and tracked from the day it arrives until it’s resolved. Kristen Cooper is responsible for making sure each one is addressed, and reviews a summary of all concerns each year to look for patterns and improve how we work.
Other places you can go
You don’t have to come to us first. Insurance agencies are licensed by the state, and you can file a complaint with the Oregon Division of Financial Regulation or the Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner. As a Certified B Corp, we’re also accountable to B Lab, which accepts complaints about B Corps through its public complaints process.
We know raising a concern takes time, and sometimes courage. Thank you for telling us.