Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona

Company Overview
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona (BCBSAZ) is a local, not-for-profit, and independently-owned health insurance company. BCBSAZ’s mission is “to provide the best value in health insurance and improve the quality of life for Arizonians.” Overall, BCBSAZ provides its insurance products and services to over 1-million Arizona residents, including individuals, families, as well as small and large businesses.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona Ratings »

History
BCBSAZ was formed in 1939 and has been an integral part of the Arizona community since.

The Blue Cross brand originated in 1929 at Baylor University with a plan offering teachers three weeks of hospital care for $6 per year. As the company grew, it began offering coverage to other employee groups in Dallas and later expanded to national coverage.The Blue Shield brand was developed at the start of last century with lumber and mining employers in the Pacific Northwest paying a monthly fee to a designated group of physicians. In 1939, the first true Blue Shield plan was unveiled in California. Blue Shield and the Blue Cross Association merged in 1982 to become the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.
Over the decades, BCBSAZ has garnered numerous awards and saw their customers increase by 5-percent in 2007 with 9 out of 10 of those customers reporting they are satisfied with their health insurance coverage.

Current Organization
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona’s vision is to be “recognized as Arizona’s trusted and effective health insurance leader” by keeping promises and treating others the way they want to be treated. Headquartered in Phoenix and with over 1-million insurance subscribers, BCBSAZ employs around 1500 and maintains offices throughout the state including Tucson, Flagstaff, and Tempe.