"We will use our role as the leading health insurer to improve the health of the communities we serve." Statement of Licensee The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association licenses Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City to offer certain products and services under the Blue Cross and Blue Shield brand names.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City is an independent organization governed by its own Board of Directors and is solely responsible for its debts and other obligations.
Neither the Association nor any other organization using the Blue Cross and Blue Shield names acts as a guarantor of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City’s obligations.
A copy of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City s most recent audited financial statement is available upon request to Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City.
(Provided in accordance with our licensee agreement with the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.)
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City History
It all started in 1938. The first group hospitalization plan, known as Group Hospital Services, began operating in Kansas City with seven member hospitals, two employees and $3,025 in working capital provided by local physicians, hospitals and individuals. Group Hospital Services later became known as Blue Cross of Kansas City.
By the end of 1938, the concept of group health insurance in Kansas City caught on and Blue Cross of Kansas City boasted 10 member hospitals, eight employees, and nearly 14,000 members. It was that year that Blue Cross of Kansas City also signed up its first group - Wolferman’s Bakeries. Dues for single employees were $.75 per month and $1.50 for families in exchange for hospital expenses.
In 1943, Kansas City Blue Shield was formed to provide a prepayment plan for physician services. Within a year, the program held contracts with more than 300 companies and served more than 14,000 subscribers.
In 1950, "non-group" enrollment was introduced. Kansas City Blue Shield extended benefits to individuals not covered by an employer. Kansas City became the first Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plan in the country to provide this new service, making membership available to everyone in the community.
In the 1960s, BCBSKC became keenly aware that the needs of senior citizens would someday be a major consideration for the health care industry. Our company responded by introducing a Medicare program that allowed our senior members to rest easy about their health care coverage.
In 1982 the Kansas City Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans merged, creating Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City (BCBSKC).
Today, we serve approximately 775,000 people in 30 counties in northwestern Missouri and Johnson and Wyandotte Counties in Kansas. Through at least one of our physician and hospital networks, group and individual customers can access virtually every physician and every hospital in our operating area.
We offer health insurance in a variety of benefit plans and financing mechanisms to meet the needs of virtually every customer and strive to continue our commitment to improving the health of the communities we serve.