In 1982, all of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield programs for the Kansas City area merged, becoming Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City. Blue Cross Blue Shield Kansas City now covers more than 880,000 members in Kansas City, as well as in 30 counties in Kansas and northwestern Missouri.

To better serve members, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City continues to invest in their infrastructure so that they can provide the high quality and efficient service that their members have come to reply on. In 1999, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City introduced their new computerized health management system, Facets. The new headquarters, at 2301 Main Street in Kansas City, opened in 2003. By buying their own building, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City has been able to lower their administrative costs, which results in savings that have been passed down to their members.


Countrywide, there are more than 91 million members participating in 41 Blue Plans offered by Blue Cross and Blue Shield. That amounts to almost one-third of all people in the United States who have health insurance. Blue Cross and Blue Shield is the trusted leader in the health insurance industry, and the majority of Fortune 500 companies offer Blue Cross and Blue Shield insurance coverage to their employees.

Always aware of the needs of its members, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City has a wide range of health insurance plans to choose from. The most comprehensive plan is the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City Preferred Care Blue Premium. This is a PPO package that many healthcare benefits, including emergency services, doctor visits and hospital expenses. In addition, there are three different prescription medicine plans to choose from. Deductibles for individuals range from $500 to $5,000, and from $1,500 to $5,000 for family plans.

The AfordaBlue plan is designed by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City to offer economic health insurance coverage. This plan has a high deductible and low premium, but includes many of the same benefits as the premium plan. Included in the AfordaBlue plan is basic healthcare services that covers doctor visits, emergency room visits and hospital services. Deductibles for individuals range from $2,500 to $10,000, and between $7,500 to $30,000 for families.

The BlueSaver HDHP plan offered by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City features a high deductible with low monthly premiums. This particular plan also has a Health Savings Account (HSA) option. The advantage of an HSA is that it offers tax advantages as well as cost savings. The deductibles with the BlueSaver Plan for individuals ranges from $1,500 to $5,000, and between $3,000 and $10,000 for families.