Blue Cross: A History

by Fabian Toulouse

Anyone looking for health plans in the United States is most likely familiar with the name BlueCross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA). It is a name relied upon by 100 million Americans. There are actually 39 independent companies that make up the BCBSA.

Blue Cross had small beginnings. In 1929, Justin Ford Kimball, then vice president of Baylor University, formed a plan for $6 yearly that paid for days of hospitalization for the school’s instructors. The plan soon spread to Dallas then across the country.

The Blue Cross symbol first was used in 1934, but it was not until 1939 that it gained its modern significance. At the time, the American Hospital Association in Chicago chose the symbol to signify all health plans which met certain rules they established for trustworthy insurance companies. The designation stuck, and today the name has earned a reputation for honesty.

Among the many plans which Blue Cross Blue Shield currently offers, including medical supplemental plans for older Americans. These plans are private insurance policies and are created to pay for co-pays, premiums, or other bills not covered by Medicare Part A and B or the new Medicare Part D, which pays for drugs. While a Medicare supplement plan is not required, it is a useful thing to enroll in one.

A Medicare supplement plan can protect you from a painful financial blow in case of a long term hospitalization or an extended stay in a skilled nursing facility. Since Medicare patients are responsible for significant daily co-pays after the first twenty days of admission, the result can be an hard on your nest egg!

There are several of plans from which to choose. Selecting one from an insurance store who represents many different reputable names is often the best choice. They have already done the time consuming work of sifting through hundreds of plans to pare it down to the best and most affordable. Filling in a very short, simple online application is all that is necessary to get a quote, and eligibility is soon determined. Medicare supplements are definitely worth looking into.

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Before you invest in a Blue Cross policy, make sure to look into as many provider sites as possible. You want to make you are getting the makest market price.