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CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield is a
health insurance Health insurance or medical insurance (also known as medical aid in South Africa) is a type of insurance that covers the whole or a part of the risk of a person incurring medical expenses. As with other types of insurance, risk is shared among m ...
provider serving 3.5 million individuals and groups in
Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean t ...
and the
Washington metropolitan area The Washington metropolitan area, also commonly referred to as the National Capital Region, is the metropolitan area centered on Washington, D.C. The metropolitan area includes all of Washington, D.C. and parts of the states of Maryland, Virgi ...
. It has dual headquarters in
Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore wa ...
and Washington, D.C. It is a
nonprofit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
and an independent licensee of the
Blue Cross Blue Shield Association Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBS, BCBSA) is a federation, or supraorganization, of, in 2022, 34 independent and locally operated BCBSA companies that provide health insurance in the United States to more than 106 million people. It was ...
. The company has a 75 percent
market share Market share is the percentage of the total revenue or sales in a market that a company's business makes up. For example, if there are 50,000 units sold per year in a given industry, a company whose sales were 5,000 of those units would have a ...
in Maryland. It also serves more than 626,000 members in the
Federal Employees Health Benefits Program The Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program is a system of "managed competition" through which employee health benefits are provided to civilian government employees and annuitants of the United States government. The government cont ...
.


History

The history of CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield can be traced back to 1934, when Group Hospitalization, Inc. was formed by a hospital association in Washington, D.C. In 1942, the company was sanctioned to use the Blue Cross service mark, and in 1951 became a full participating member of the Blue Cross system. In 1969, Maryland Hospital Service, Inc. (Blue Cross) and Maryland Medical Service (Blue Shield) changed their names to Maryland Blue Cross and Maryland Blue Shield. In 1998, the Maryland and District of Columbia companies merged to form CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield. In July 2000, CareFirst announced that it was leaving the Medicare HMO marketplace at the end of the year. In 2001, Wellpoint (now
Anthem An anthem is a musical composition of celebration, usually used as a symbol for a distinct group, particularly the national anthems of countries. Originally, and in music theory and religious contexts, it also refers more particularly to short s ...
) offered to acquire the company for $1.37 billion, including $119 million in bonuses to Carefirst executives. In 2003, the offer was rejected by the Maryland insurance commissioner. In 2013, CareFirst partnered with Cognizant to provide its members with information access and management of health coverage via smartphones and tablets using mobile technology. In May 2015, the company announced that a cyber attack in June 2014 compromised the data of 1.1 million current and former members. The breach did not include
Social Security number In the United States, a Social Security number (SSN) is a nine-digit number issued to U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and temporary (working) residents under section 205(c)(2) of the Social Security Act, codified as . The number is issued to ...
s, medical claims, employment, credit card or financial information, and CareFirst subsequently blocked member access to these accounts and requested members create new user names and passwords. During the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
, CareFirst contributed $8 million to organizations on the front lines for
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quick ...
relief, recovery and equitable vaccination efforts for communities in the region of Maryland. The company also covered services that are medically necessary for any of their members that are diagnosed with COVID-19. In early 2021, the company began providing
Medicaid Medicaid in the United States is a federal and state program that helps with healthcare costs for some people with limited income and resources. Medicaid also offers benefits not normally covered by Medicare, including nursing home care and per ...
and
Medicare Advantage Medicare Advantage (Medicare Part C, MA) is a capitated program for providing Medicare benefits in the United States. Under Part C, Medicare pays a private-sector health insurer a fixed payment. The insurer then pays for the health care expense ...
options to consumers. In 2021, CareFirst dedicated $10.5 million toward addressing the root causes of
diabetes Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ...
in certain regional communities. The company also launched Better Together, a public health campaign urging people to get COVID-19 vaccines. In October 2021, the company launched CloseKnit, a virtual primary care practice providing a variety of care services including behavioral health services and care coordination.


Management

In 2018, Brian D. Pieninck was named Chief Executive Officer. In April 2021, CareFirst appointed Dr. Tich Changamire as its new Chief Medical Officer.


Partnerships

In October 2019, CareFirst partnered with Halcyon, an incubator program, to financially support healthcare startups. In September 2020, the company partnered with MedStar Health to provide value-based health care to communities. In August 2021, the company collaborated with Pittsburgh, PA-based healthcare provider Highmark to offer a health insurance designed specifically for labor unions and members.


References

{{Reflist, 1 Financial services companies established in 1934 Companies based in Baltimore Health insurance in the United States Health maintenance organizations Insurance companies of the United States Members of Blue Cross Blue Shield Association Medical and health organizations based in Maryland 1934 establishments in Washington, D.C.