Blue Cross Blue Shield

Company History

The concept for Blue Cross was created in 1929 by businessman, Justin Ford Kimball. Born partly out of necessity during the Great depression, the Blue Cross plan enabled approximately 1,300 schoolteachers to finance health care and make small monthly payments to a local Texas hospital.

The Blue Shield concept began growing around the same time in lumber and mining camps across the Pacific Northwest. Injuries and illnesses occurred frequently in these camps and affected employee productivity. In an attempt to provide medical care for these workers, employers began paying physicians monthly fees for certain services.

These pioneering insurance programs provided the basis for what would become the Blue Shield Plans that we know today. As the years passed, these brands began to incorporate themselves into American health care. When the Blue Cross and Blue Shield organizations finally merged in 1982, they were both quite popular in their own right.

Blue Cross Blue Shield Coverage

The Blue Cross Blue Shield Company is primarily a health insurance provider. They do not offer vehicle insurance or other types of coverage. However, the company has several different health programs to choose from, which allows consumers to customize a plan that’s right for them and for their family. Employers can also obtain coverage for employees.

As a member of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plan, you will have access to doctors and hospitals almost everywhere across the country and around the world. More than 85 percent of all doctors and hospitals in the U.S. contract with Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans. And, plan members have access to doctors and hospitals in more than 200 countries.

All health insurance policies are sold locally. To get a quote or to learn more about obtaining Blue Cross Blue Shield Health Coverage, you should contact your local Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plan.

Blue Cross Blue Shield Programs

Though the beginnings were humble, the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association has grown to become the most recognized brand of insurance in the industry and now provides coverage to more than 94 million people in all regions of the country. Blue Cross Blue Shield also has contracts with more hospitals and physicians than any other insurer.

To prove that the company takes their reputation as a trusted and recognized source in healthcare seriously, the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association has created several programs dedicated to increasing healthcare awareness, quality, and affordability. These programs include:

• Blue Distinction – This nationwide program was developed to help people who are healthy stay that way. The program encourages consumers to make more informed health care decisions and collaborates with providers to improve quality outcomes and affordability.
• BlueWorks – A signature program within the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association’s Healthcare Cost Campaign, BlueWorks encourages affordable prescription drugs, rewards quality health care providers, and helps consumers to make informed decisions about health care.
• WalkingWorks – Created to motivate members to integrate more walking into their daily lives, this program is dedicated to reducing the likelihood of costly health problems down the road.
• Your Choice Count – In an effort to promote consumer awareness, Blue Cross Blue Shield provides their customers with information about health care basics and choices that can be made to help keep health care affordable.