Carolyn Habba, research associate at BlueCross, likes solving problems. She works in BlueCare Plus on our Dual Special Needs Plan, which serves members who qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid. Carolyn’s job entails reviewing claims that the system has flagged and resolving issues quickly so providers can get paid and members can get the care they need.
This role entails a little detective work, connecting the dots between authorizations and coding, but it’s something Carolyn thrives on.
“I have a background in customer service and started at BlueCross in 2018 on the phones with Senior Care,” Carolyn explains. “Even then my favorite thing was helping members work out and solve an issue they were having with their coverage — I enjoyed the puzzle-solving aspect of the job.”
Growing up, Carolyn was shy. She would attend big family functions and watch her gregarious relatives quietly. She didn’t speak Aramaic, like her father’s Chaldean family, so she spent a lot of time observing.
Carolyn’s parents met in the Philippines, where her father, born in the United States, was stationed as a Marine. Her mother was Filipino, had never been to the U.S. and spoke very little English. But shortly after Carolyn was born, the family moved to Michigan, where her father’s family lived.
Pulled between worlds
Carolyn’s mother learned English while working and going to college and embraced her new home with open arms.
“That’s a hallmark of Filipino culture that I’ve always loved,” Carolyn says. “The people are very warm, friendly and inviting.”
Family was a priority for her mother, the oldest of seven kids. While she only got to visit family in the Philippines once, she made a point to send money back to help support them and assisted brothers and sisters with paperwork to immigrate to the U.S.
“My grandmother and Dad’s siblings welcomed Mom into the family,” Carolyn explains. “But I think it was a struggle for her being so far from her own family for so many years.”
Carolyn’s family moved to San Diego when she was 8 years old, and it was there that she’d grow up exposed to multiple cultures.
“San Diego has people from all over the world,” Carolyn points out. “But I grew up speaking only English around my family rather than Tagalog like my mother’s family or Aramaic like my dad’s. I never quite felt like my culture was something taught to me, but something I had to piece together for myself.”
Exploring her heritage from afar
Living on her own in Orange Texas, Carolyn’s life changed dramatically when Hurricane Harvey hit in 2017.
“I lost almost everything in the hurricane – including nearly my own life,” Carolyn recalls. “My parents had moved to Lafayette, Georgia after my mother retired from the post office the year before, so they invited me to come stay with them while I got back on my feet. Not long after I applied to BlueCross.”
At BlueCross, Carolyn found inspiration from an unexpected source: reconnection with her Filipino heritage.
“I struggled with depression for many years before the hurricane, but looking back, it was a blessing in disguise,” Carolyn says.
“My first two supervisors and team lead really took it upon themselves to embrace me and show genuine kindness. One even told me, ‘I’ve decided to make you my friend, whether you like it or not!’”
That support and positive atmosphere helped Carolyn start a journey of healing from depression, as well as overcoming her shyness.
“The warmth and openness I received here seems really similar to the welcoming style of Filipino families,” she says. “I feel more at home, and more ready to learn about myself and my mom’s family.”
Just last year, Carolyn helped her mother make her first video call to relatives in the Philippines, a moment that she says meant a great deal to them both.
“I’m really grateful that my parents never pushed culture on me while growing up, which has made me independent,,” Carolyn says. “Now that I’m grown, it makes me want to learn more about my background.”
Sharing her culture
Carolyn enjoys speaking with other employees about her experience in a culturally mixed household and her own interest in learning more about the Philippines.
“Sharing my own experience is really helpful in getting over the awkwardness and frustration that culture clashes can create,” Carolyn says.
“That’s something I would notice a lot when working on the phones with members or provider call centers. It’s important to remember, that’s another human being on the other end of the line who is working and striving for their family and loved ones. That’s something everyone has in common.”
A graduate of The University of South, Sewanee, Jacob joined the Corporate Communications team in 2018. With a background in marketing, public relations and literary publishing, he brings storytelling expertise and a collaborative spirit to every project.