Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City (Blue KC) is an independent licensee of the

Blue Cross Blue Shield Association Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBS, BCBSA) is a federation, or supraorganization, of, in 2022, 34 independent and locally operated BCBSA companies that provide health insurance in the United States to more than 106 million people. It was ...

and a not-for-profit health insurance provider with more than one million members. Founded in 1938, Blue KC offers healthcare, dental, life insurance and Medicare coverage. Headquartered in Kansas City, the company serves 30 counties in northwest

Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...

as well as

Johnson Johnson is a surname of Anglo-Norman origin meaning "Son of John". It is the second most common in the United States and 154th most common in the world. As a common family name in Scotland, Johnson is occasionally a variation of ''Johnston'', a ...

and Wyandotte counties in

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to th ...

History

Originally named Blue Cross of Kansas City, the health insurance provider was established in 1938. Kansas City Blue Shield was formed in 1943. In 1982, the Kansas City Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans merged, creating Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City. In 2003, Kansas Insurance Commissioner

Sandy Praeger Sandy Praeger (born October 21, 1944) is a former politician from the U.S. state of Kansas who served as the Kansas Insurance Commissioner from 2003 to 2015. Prior to her term as insurance commissioner, she was a member of the Kansas Senate and ...

denied a bid from Anthem (the fifth-largest US publicly traded health insurance company at the time) to purchase the company. Both companies sought legal recourse, arguing that the insurance commissioner had over-stepped the authority of the office. The

Kansas Supreme Court The Kansas Supreme Court is the highest judicial authority in the state of Kansas. Composed of seven justices, led by Chief Justice Marla Luckert, the court supervises the legal profession, administers the judicial branch, and serves as the st ...

heard the case and ruled that the state insurance commissioner has the authority to block such mergers and affirmed her ability to do so. Prior to the proposed merger, the company had lost 80,000 policy holders. From 2014 to 2018, Blue KC participated in the

Affordable Care Act The Affordable Care Act (ACA), formally known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and colloquially known as Obamacare, is a landmark U.S. federal statute enacted by the 111th United States Congress and signed into law by Pres ...

exchange Exchange may refer to: Physics *Gas exchange is the movement of oxygen and carbon dioxide molecules from a region of higher concentration to a region of lower concentration. Places United States * Exchange, Indiana, an unincorporated community * ...

. The company decided to pull out of the exchange in 2017 after reporting a $100 million loss. In 2015, the company created the Blue KC Exchange, a private insurance exchange marketplace for small businesses. Danette Wilson became the Blue KC's first female CEO in 2015. When she retired in 2019, Erin Stucky, a 25-year veteran of the company, succeeded her in the role. In November 2017, Blue KC launched Spira Care, a plan that combines primary care and health insurance.{{cite news , last1=Reuter , first1=Elise , title=Blue KC plan cuts co-pays for doctor visits , url=https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/news/2017/11/08/blue-kc-plan-cuts-co-pays-for-doctor-visits.html , work=Kansas City Business Journal , date=8 November 2017

References

External links

Official websiteLive Blue Official website
Financial services companies established in 1938 Organizations based in Kansas City, Missouri Members of Blue Cross Blue Shield Association Medical and health organizations based in Missouri