What Blue Cross Blue Shield actually is
It is not one company. It is 33 separately owned companies sharing a name, which explains why almost nothing about it generalizes.
Blue Cross Blue Shield is not a company. It is a federation of 33 independent, locally operated companies that are separately owned and separately run, and are licensed by the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association to use the Blue Cross and Blue Shield names in a defined territory. Between them they cover about 118 million people across all 50 states, Washington DC and Puerto Rico.
Figures published by the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. HealthPlanIndex is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association or any of its licensees.
Why this explains so much confusion
Because the companies are genuinely separate, almost nothing generalizes across them:
- Prices differ between territories, because they are set by different companies with different local contracts.
- Networks differ. Your plan's network is built by your local company, not by a national organization.
- Quality ratings differ — one licensee can rate well while another rates poorly, under the same familiar name.
- Customer service is local. There is no national Blue Cross switchboard that can look up your policy.
- The trading names differ. Anthem Blue Cross, Highmark, Blue Shield of California, Empire, Wellmark, Premera, Regence, Horizon and others are all licensees operating under their own names.
So "is Blue Cross good?" cannot be answered. The useful question is whether the specific plan from the specific licensee in your county has your doctors in network and your prescriptions on its formulary.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield were two different things
Historically Blue Cross plans covered hospital care and Blue Shield plans covered physician services. They were separate organizations that merged in most territories over the second half of the twentieth century, which is why some companies still trade as one, the other, or both.
What this means when you are shopping
Treat the Blue name as a starting point rather than a decision. In your county it will be one of several insurers offering several plans — among 4 insurers in the median county on this site, offering 57 plans between them.
- Find which plans are actually sold at your address. Start with your county.
- Check the network for your doctors, plan by plan. Network types explained.
- Check the formulary for your prescriptions.
- Compare total annual cost after any premium tax credit, not sticker price.
Looking for your member login or your insurer's phone number? This page cannot help with that, and neither can the number on this site. Use the phone number on your member ID card, or go to your local Blue plan's own website. HealthPlanIndex is an independent publisher with no affiliation to any insurer.