The Blue Cross and Blue Shield names and symbols are registered marks of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. There may be times when we use other companies to give our members and providers certain types of services, like Utilization Management or Case Management.
This box:. Blue Cross and Blue Shield developed separately, with Blue Cross providing coverage for hospital services and Blue Shield covering physicians' services. Blue Cross is a name used by an association of plans throughout the.
Its predecessor was developed by in 1929, while he was vice president of 's health care facilities in. The first plan guaranteed teachers 21 days of hospital care for $6 a year, and was later extended to other employee groups in Dallas, and then nationally. The (AHA) adopted the Blue Cross symbol in 1939 as the emblem for plans meeting certain standards. In 1960, the AHA commission was superseded by the Blue Cross Association.
Blue Cross severed its ties with the AHA in 1972. Blue Shield was developed by employers in lumber and mining camps of the Pacific Northwest to provide medical care by paying monthly fees to medical service bureaus composed of groups of physicians. In 1939, the first official Blue Shield plan was founded in California. In 1948, the symbol was informally adopted by nine plans called the Associated Medical Care Plan, and was later renamed the National Association of Blue Shield Plans. In the 1960s the U.S. Government chose to partner with Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies to administer Medicare.
In 1982, Blue Shield merged with The Blue Cross Association to form the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBS). Prior to 1986, organizations administering BCBS were tax exempt under (4) as social welfare plans. However, the revoked the exemption, because the plans sold commercial-type insurance. They became organizations, subject to federal taxation, but entitled to 'special tax benefits' under IRC 833. In 1994, BCBS changed to allow its licensees to be for-profit corporations.
During 2010, the parent company of BCBS in Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Montana and Illinois, nearly doubled its income to $1.09 billion in 2010, and began four years of billion-dollar profits. In the final spending bill for FY 2015 after much lobbying since 2010, nonprofit Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans continue to have special tax breaks that were understood to be threatened by the of 2010. Current organization Blue Cross and Blue Shield insurance companies are, independent of the association and traditionally of each other, offering insurance plans within defined regions under one or both of the association's brands. Blue Cross Blue Shield insurers offer some form of health insurance coverage in every. They also act as administrators of in many states or regions of the U.S. And provide coverage to state government employees as well as to the federal government employees under a nationwide option of the. The association has its headquarters in the complex in the area of Chicago, Illinois.
Member companies. This section needs expansion. You can help. (August 2009) Idaho Blue Cross of Idaho and Regence BlueShield of Idaho are separate companies and compete throughout the state. Pennsylvania Though historically 'Blue Cross' was used for hospital coverage while 'Blue Shield' was used for medical coverage, today that split only exists for traditional health insurance plans in Pennsylvania.
Two independent companies operate in central Pennsylvania, Highmark Blue Shield (Pittsburgh) and Capital Blue Cross (Central Pennsylvania). In southeastern Pennsylvania, (Philadelphia) has a joint marketing agreement with Highmark Blue Shield (Pittsburgh) for their separate hospital and medical plans. However, Independence Blue Cross, like most of its sister Blue Cross-Blue Shield companies, cover most of their customers under managed care plans such as HMOs and PPOs which provide hospital and medical care in one policy. See also. Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. December 31, 2014. 4 June 2008) 6 May 2009 at the.
^ from the Online. Retrieved August 31, 2009. Archived from on 2016-11-08. Retrieved 2017-01-06. ^ Marc Lichtenstein (n.d.).
Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Archived from on September 26, 2009. 1 January 2008. Retrieved 18 December 2014.
As of January 1, 1987, the federal government removed the full tax-exempt status of BCBS plans and instead created a special tax class for BCBS organizations, Internal Revenue Code ('I.R.C.' Category subjected BCBS plans to federal taxation but recognized the unique role BCBS plans play, unlike commercial for-profit insurers, and entitled it to special tax benefits. law.cornell.edu. Retrieved on 2013-09-05. Crain's Chicago Business. Crain Communication, Inc.
Blue Shield Not Black Friday
3 September 2013. Retrieved 18 December 2014.
Pear, Robert (December 14, 2014). Retrieved December 18, 2014. Health Harbor. Retrieved on 2013-09-05.
Blue Shield Not Blackhawks
United States. Archived from on 2011-06-11. Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Archived from on January 10, 2007. Retrieved December 23, 2009. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
(Press release). April 2, 2012. Retrieved April 27, 2012. The Regence Group.
(PDF). Consumer Union. External links Media related to at Wikimedia Commons.