RICHARDSON, Texas — The state’s oldest, largest, only customer-owned health insurer is celebrating 95 years of helping improve the health of Texans.
In honor of this milestone, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas kicked off “95 Days of Kindness” in September. BCBSTX employees at all 16 offices across the state had the opportunity to participate in acts of kindness that reflect the company’s commitment to supporting communities where our members and employees work and live. In total, employees volunteered upwards of 3,300 hours throughout the kindness campaign, spanning more than 300 community events, and benefiting more than 60 organizations; including the American Red Cross, Undies for Everyone, NMDP (formerly Be the Match), and United Way.
“We currently have more than 9,500 employees who are passionate about serving Texans, just as those employees who came before us,” said BCBSTX President Jim Springfield. “This milestone celebrates them, as well as the generations of Texans who have relied on us during some of their most impactful moments of their lives. It’s a reminder of the many hospitals, doctors, and nurses we have collaborated with, and it’s a testament to the impact we have made by supporting the efforts of community organizations throughout the years.”
BCBSTX traces its roots to Dec. 20, 1929. The very concept of health insurance began when Dallas businessman Justin Ford Kimball came up with the idea of “group hospitalization.” Teachers could prepay 50 cents a month to cover the cost of a 21-day stay at a Baylor hospital,
Today, BCBSTX is the largest provider of health benefits in the state, serving more than 8 million members through employer group coverage, individual and family market plans, as well as Medicare and Medicaid. The company contributed more than $1.7 billion in economic impact in the state of Texas last year.
Highlights of how BCBSTX has innovated and evolved over its 95-year history include:
- 1954: The Catastrophic Illness Endorsement was extended to cover cancer at no additional cost. This is thought to be the first cancer coverage offered anywhere in the world.
- 1967: The company was chosen to serve as the Medicaid intermediary for Texas. It was the first in the nation to administer Medicaid on an underwritten basis.
- 1991: BCBSTX created The Caring for Children Foundation of Texas to serve the medical needs of uninsured or underinsured children across the state.
- 2017: The C1 Innovation Lab opened in downtown Dallas. The facility serves as the company’s primary hub for collaboration, incubation and development of new products and services.
- 2000: The company initiated outcomes-based reimbursement contracts with hospitals and physicians to improve the quality of care.
- 2023: BCBSTX launched the expanded Special Beginnings® Maternal and Infant Health program aimed at improving outcomes for Texas moms and babies, helping more than 60,000 individuals in its first year.
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About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas — the only statewide, customer-owned health insurer in Texas — is the largest provider of health benefits in the state, working with more than 168,000 physicians and health care practitioners, and 550 hospitals to serve nearly eight million members in all 254 counties. BCBSTX is a Division of Health Care Service Corporation (which operates Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans in Texas, Illinois, Montana, Oklahoma, and New Mexico). Health Care Service Corporation is a Mutual Legal Reserve Company and an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.