User:MaryGaulke/sandbox/Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City mockup

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City
Company typeNot-for-Profit
IndustryHealth Insurance
Founded1938
HeadquartersKansas City, MO
Area served
Kansas City area
Key people
Erin Stucky (President and CEO)[1]
Number of employees
1,000 (2018[2])
WebsiteBlueKC.com

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City (Blue KC) is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and a not-for-profit health insurance provider with more than one million members.[3] Founded in 1938,[2] Blue KC offers healthcare, dental, life insurance and Medicare coverage. Headquartered in Kansas City,[3] the company serves 30 counties in northwest Missouri as well as Johnson and Wyandotte counties in Kansas.[4]

History[edit]

Originally named Blue Cross of Kansas City, the health insurance provider was established in 1938.[5] 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.[6][5]

In July 2009, Blue KC was the first company in the country to earn the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) Wellness & Health Promotion (WHP) Accreditation for its "A Healthier You" initiative.[7][8][9]

From 2014 to 2018, Blue KC participated in the Affordable Care Act exchange. The company decided to pull out of the exchange in 2017 after reporting a $100 million loss.[10] In 2015, the company created the Blue KC Exchange, a private insurance exchange marketplace for small businesses.[11] 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.[12][3]

Spira Care[edit]

In November 2017, Blue KC launched Spira Care, a plan that combines primary care and health insurance. Spira Care centers offer primary care services to eligible Blue KC members for no or low additional cost. Initially, two care centers opened;[13][14] three more followed.[15][16] The centers also offer basic lab, radiology, behavioral health, and prescription services.[15][17]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Blue KC Leadership Team". Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
  2. ^ a b "Healthiest Employers: Honoree – Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City". Kansas City Business Journal. 9 February 2018. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
  3. ^ a b c Lieberman, Lily (10 January 2019). "Blue KC CEO Wilson will retire; another woman will succeed her". Kansas City Business Journal. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
  4. ^ "About Us". The Blueprint. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City. Retrieved 26 July 2019.
  5. ^ a b "Blue KC History". Archived from the original on 2013-04-17.
  6. ^ "History of Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association – 1980s". Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Archived from the original on September 26, 2009.
  7. ^ "Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City Becomes Nation's First Organization to Receive NCQA Accreditation for Wellness & Health Promotion" (Press release). NCQA. July 23, 2009. Archived from the original on 31 December 2010. Retrieved 26 July 2019.
  8. ^ Wojcik, Joanne (23 July 2009). "Kansas City Blues receives NCQA's wellness accreditation". Business Insurance. Retrieved 26 July 2019.
  9. ^ "Blue Cross wellness plan wins accreditation". Kansas City Business Journal. 29 June 2009. Retrieved 26 July 2019.
  10. ^ Marso, Andy; Lowry, Bryan (24 May 2017). "Blue Cross and Blue Shield of KC is pulling out of Obamacare exchange in 2018". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved 26 July 2019.
  11. ^ "Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City launches health exchange". Kansas City Business Journal. 16 November 2011. Retrieved 26 July 2019.
  12. ^ Stafford, Diane (30 January 2015). "Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City has a new CEO". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved 26 July 2019.
  13. ^ LaPointe, Jacqueline (1 October 2018). "Aligning Incentives for Providers, Payers Improves Primary Care". RevCycleIntelligence. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  14. ^ Reuter, Elise (8 November 2017). "Blue KC plan cuts co-pays for doctor visits". Kansas City Business Journal. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  15. ^ a b Reuter, Elise (28 August 2018). "Blue KC is building 3 more 'all-inclusive' clinics, plans 10-12 in metro within 2 years". Kansas City Business Journal. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  16. ^ "Six Facts About Spira Care". The Blueprint. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City. 9 April 2019. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  17. ^ Lieberman, Lily (29 March 2019). "2019 Capstone Awards: Retail — Spira Care centers". Kansas City Business Journal. Retrieved 27 July 2019.

External links[edit]