Blue Cross Blue Shield Insurance Policies
Blue Cross Blue Shield is arguably one of the best-known names in American health insurance. The company's website is located at www.bcbs.com and offers a wide variety of information. If you want to find an agent near you, you've simply got to type in your zip code and the nearest Blue Cross Blue Shield
office location will appear. If you're looking for trends in the insurance and health care industry, you'll likely find something of interest at the company's website. If you want to know more about the coverage and plans offered by Blue Cross Blue Shield
, you'll find that on the home page as well.
For example, did you know that Blue Cross Blue Shield offers coverage for its members even when they travel or live outside the United States? While there are some limitations - including the need to verify that your coverage will be the same while you are outside the U.S. and a requirement to notify the company if you seek emergency medical treatment - your Blue Cross Blue Shield card will still get you medical attention in many countries. If you are a Blue Cross Blue Shield member, you can use the Blue Cross Worldwide connection on the company's website to check for doctors and hospitals in the area where you plan to travel.
Today, Blue Cross Blue Shield provides medical coverage to some ninety-two million people, according to information on the company website. But the company had rather humble beginnings. In 1929, a group of teachers in Dallas, Texas pooled their resources to create funds if anyone needed to spend a specific number of days in the hospital. The plan was conceptualized by Justin Ford Kimbell and became Blue Cross. Around the same time, Blue Shield was born from the need for medical services for workers in the Pacific Northwest who had dangerous jobs.
When Medicare was launched in the mid 1960s, Blue Cross Blue Shield provided the infrastructure to get the process moving forward. According to information from the Blue Cross Blue Shield website, the "Blue System" is the largest single processor of Medicare claims in the country.
The Blue Cross Blue Shield website offers myriad information, including tips on how to report Medicare and insurance fraud. If you're looking for a physician in the Blue Cross Blue Shield network, you'll find a listing of health care professionals. The site also includes information about how the company is working to keep healthcare costs affordable, and a series of cost studies related to the insurance industry.
