About Blue Shield
Since its beginnings as a medical provider for the lumber and mining camps of the Pacific Northwest, Blue Shield has grown to one of the largest healthcare providers in the United States. In its partnership with Blue Cross, the organization serves more than 94 million people, or 1 in 3 Americans.
Blue Shield originated in 1917, when railroad and mining workers and their employers in the Pacific Northwest began paying monthly fees to groups of physicians for medical care. The first Blue Shield plan was established in 1939 in California. In the 1970s, Blue Shield began its partnership with Blue Cross, merging their staffs and operations. In 1982, Blue Shield and Blue Cross formed the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Today, both companies operate under the same board of directors. The Blue Cross Blue Shield organization now has 38 member companies in the 50 United States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Blue Shield Plans
Blue Shield has a variety of plans for increased versatility and options. Representative of the Blue Shield plans are:
- Access + HMO Plans -- These plans offer everything from preventative care to inpatient and outpatient hospital services to emergency care. With the Access Specialist feature, members can see a specialist in the same medical group, or IPA, as their personal physician, without a referral. The Access Satisfaction feature allows members to receive a refund on their co-payments if they are unhappy with their visit to an HMO network doctor.
- Shield Spectrum PPO Plans -- These plans provide direct access to physicians and specialists within the preferred provider network, offer a $0 deductible option, have a two-tier provider network (preferred and non-preferred), allow visits outside the preferred provider network, and feature six different plans. The plans cover everything from preventative care to hospitalization to prescription drugs. Participants pay only 25 percent or 30 percent for covered services, once they meet the deductible.
- Active Start Plans -- These are ideal for first-time health coverage, covering both day-to-day medical needs and more expensive medical events. These plans have no deductible, low premiums, and low co-payments for generic drugs. They are only for individual coverage, and cover neither two-party or family coverage nor maternity expenses. Because there is no deductible, coverage starts immediately. The plans also cover alternative treatments such as acupuncture and chiropractic care. Co-payments for preventative care and office visits are $25 or $35, while co-payments for generic prescriptions are $10 at participating pharmacies.
Blue Shield Headquarters
Blue Shield headquarters are conveniently located throughout the United States.
