Blue Shield of California is a not-for-profit health plan provider based in San Francisco, California. It was founded and incorporated in 1939 by the California Medical Association. Currently, Blue Shield of California serves over 3.2 million health plan members and nearly 59,000 physicians across the state.

About Blue Shield of California

Blue Shield of California, an independent member of the Blue Shield Association, is a not-for-profit health plan dedicated to providing Californians with access to high-quality health care at a reasonable price. As a not-for-profit health plan, Blue Shield is guided by our mission and values, which encourage innovation and enable us to be a catalyst for constructive change.

Blue Shield of California's 60+-year history is distinguished by innovations that have changed the face of health care and made us a prominent force in the California healthcare market.

Blue Shield of California, Inc.

Corporate Headquarters:
50 Beale Street
San Francisco, CA 94105-1808
(415) 229-5000
CEO:
Bruce G. Bodaken
Employee Number:
4,800
2008 Revenue:
$8.9 billion

Product Types Offered

Individuals

These plans may be right for you if you are:

• Self-employed individual or not covered under a group plan
• Not satisfied with your employer group plan, or would like additional family coverage
• Seeking additional protection from a potential unexpected accident or illness
• Interested in a Health Savings Account available in conjunction with a high-deductible health plan
• Looking to add dental or term life insurance coverage

Blue Shield offers both PPO and HMO health and dental plans.

• Vital Shield                            
• Vital Shield Plus
• Essential Plans
• Active Start Plans
• Balance Plans
• Shield Spectrum PPO Plans
• Shield Savings Plans
• HMO Plans
• Dental HMO
• Dental PPO

Medicare Plans

Medicare is the nation’s largest health insurance program, covering 40 million Americans. It was designed to provide high-quality health care to people 65 and over, as well as to others with disabilities.

Blue Shield of California offers three basic types of plans:

Medicare Supplement Plans
Our eight Medicare Supplement Plans help enhance Medicare benefits. You can get coverage for costs not covered by Medicare, such as Parts A and B deductibles, copayments, coinsurance and more.

Medicare Advantage-Prescription Drug Plans
Blue Shield’s Medicare Advantage HMOs provide all the medical services and supplies offered by Original Medicare, plus additional benefits such as prescription drug coverage and vision benefits.

Blue Shield Medicare Rx Plans
Blue Shield’s standalone Medicare-approved prescription drug plans can help you cover your prescription drug costs. These plans work well when combined with one of our Medicare Supplement plans.

Provider Network

Blue Shield of California has one of the country’s biggest provider networks. You can use DocFind, Blue Shield of California’s online provider directory, to learn more about doctors, hospitals, other medical services, dentists, vision care providers and pharmacies that work with your Blue Shield of California plan.

Network Facts

Membership:
HMO: 1,200,000
PPO: 1,560,000
TRICARE: 460,000
Other: 160,0001
Total: 3,400,000

Health Care Networks:

Provider Network (as of May 2009)
Type of Provider	HMO	PPO
Primary Care Physicians	11,546	11,053
Specialists	22,092	21,454
Total	33,639	32,507
Hospital Network (as of May 2009)
HMO: 303
PPO: 348

Recent News

Here are some of the most recent news regarding Blue Shield of California:

Meredith Mathews, M.D. Named Chief Medical Officer for Blue Shield of California

San Francisco, CA., June 02, 2009 — Blue Shield of California announced today the appointment of Meredith Mathews, M.D. as senior vice president and chief medical officer. Dr. Mathews will oversee all of Blue Shield's health care services, including prevention & wellness programs, disease & case management, maternity management, pharmacy benefits management, medical policies, centers of excellence, clinical quality, transparency strategies, and utilization management. (Continue Reading)

Rating

Blue Shield of California’s rating, as rated by A.M. Best Company. A.M. Best Company is a full-service credit rating organization dedicated to serving the financial services industries, including the banking and insurance sectors.

Financial Strength Rating
Rating: A (Excellent)
Outlook/Implication: Stable