Independence Blue Cross (IBC) is a health insurer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

 in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. Together with its subsidiaries, IBC is one of the largest health insurers in the five-county southeastern Pennsylvania area of Bucks

Bucks County, Pennsylvania

- Industry and commerce :The boroughs of Bristol and Morrisville were prominent industrial centers along the Northeast Corridor during World War II. Suburban development accelerated in Lower Bucks in the 1950s with the opening of Levittown, Pennsylvania, the second such "Levittown" designed by...

, Chester

Chester County, Pennsylvania

-State parks:*French Creek State Park*Marsh Creek State Park*White Clay Creek Preserve-Demographics:As of the 2010 census, the county was 85.5% White, 6.1% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American or Alaskan Native, 3.9% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian, 1.8% were two or more races, and 2.4% were...

, Delaware

Delaware County, Pennsylvania

Delaware County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population was 558,979, making it Pennsylvania's fifth most populous county, behind Philadelphia, Allegheny, Montgomery, and Bucks counties....

, Montgomery

Montgomery County, Pennsylvania

Montgomery County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of 2010, the population was 799,874, making it the third most populous county in Pennsylvania . The county seat is Norristown.The county was created on September 10, 1784, out of land originally part...

, and Philadelphia counties

Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania

-History:Tribes of Lenape were the first known occupants in the area which became Philadelphia County. The first European settlers were Swedes and Finns who arrived in 1638. The Netherlands seized the area in 1655, but permanently lost control to England in 1674...

. IBC provides health care coverage for more than 3.1 million members nationwide. More than 2.2 million of those members live in southeastern Pennsylvania, Delaware

Delaware

Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...

, and southern New Jersey

New Jersey

New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...

.

Employing nearly 4,800 people , the company serves the health needs of the region by offering a wide variety of health plans, including managed care

Managed care

...intended to reduce unnecessary health care costs through a variety of mechanisms, including: economic incentives for physicians and patients to select less costly forms of care; programs for reviewing the medical necessity of specific services; increased beneficiary cost sharing; controls on...

, traditional indemnity insurance, Medicare

Medicare (United States)

Medicare is a social insurance program administered by the United States government, providing health insurance coverage to people who are aged 65 and over; to those who are under 65 and are permanently physically disabled or who have a congenital physical disability; or to those who meet other...

, and Medicaid

Medicaid

Medicaid is the United States health program for certain people and families with low incomes and resources. It is a means-tested program that is jointly funded by the state and federal governments, and is managed by the states. People served by Medicaid are U.S. citizens or legal permanent...

. Its network of health care providers includes nearly 160 area hospitals and more than 38,000 physicians and other health care professionals.

Independence Blue Cross is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association

Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association

The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association is a federation of 39 separate health insurance organizations and companies in the United States. Combined, they directly or indirectly provide health insurance to over 100 million Americans. The history of Blue Cross dates back to 1929, while the history of...

.

Company history

Independence Blue Cross began in 1938 as the Associated Hospital Service of Philadelphia and offered the first prepaid hospitalization plan in the region. Philadelphia Mayor S. Davis Wilson enrolled as the first member, and Independence Hall

Independence Hall

Independence Hall is the centerpiece of Independence National Historical Park located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, on Chestnut Street between 5th and 6th Streets...

became the first employer group to purchase coverage.

By the end of its first year, the company had more than 160,000 members. By 1958, it employed 600 people and contracted with 94 hospitals. In 1988, the company began doing business as Independence Blue Cross.

Social mission

Since its inception, Independence Blue Cross has demonstrated a commitment to social responsibility and community involvement. Each year, it supports community education, sponsorships, and philanthropy, including a variety of programs and activities that help make health insurance more affordable to nearly 166,000 southeastern Pennsylvania residents.

In addition, every year the Independence Blue Cross Blue Crew, the company’s corporate volunteer program, donates its time to a broad range of activities that contribute to the well-being of the people of the Philadelphia region.

Some of these activities are:

• IBC Summer of Learning Internship Program. This IBC-sponsored program is designed to provide support to key business initiatives while giving practical training to college students in their area of concentration.

• The Independence Blue Cross and Highmark Blue Shield Caring Foundation. The Caring Foundation helps to provide uninsured children and adults with free or low-cost health care.

• Charitable Medical Care Grant Program. This IBC program gives financial support to nonprofit, privately funded clinics that provide free or nominal-fee care to the uninsured, and it supports special projects that improve care for the uninsured.

• Nurse Scholars Program. IBC addresses the critical shortage of nurses and nurse educators through this award-winning original program, which is the first of its kind in the U.S. The Nurse Scholars Program supports nursing students and nurse educators through scholarships, internships, and a nurse faculty support program.

• Health eTools for Schools. IBC offers area schools Health eTools for Schools — a unique web-based program designed to help local schools promote student wellness and combat childhood obesity.

Subsidiaries and affiliates

In addition to health care benefits, Independence Blue Cross offers specialized services and managed care expertise through its affiliates and subsidiaries.

• Keystone Health Plan East
• AmeriHealth Administrators
• Independence Administrators
• QCC Insurance Company
• Vista Health Plan, Inc.

External links

• ibx.com - Independence Blue Cross official website
• ibxmedicare.com - Independence Blue Cross Medicare plans
• ibx4you.com - Independence Blue Cross HMO and PPO plans for individuals