With 3.3 million members and $7.5 billion in annual revenue, Blue Shield of California is the state's third largest health plan. Blue Shield of California (Blue Shield), founded in 1939, is a not-for-profit corporation with approximately 4,500 employees and more than 20 offices throughout California. As a not-for-profit health plan, Blue Shield is guided by its mission and values, which encourage innovation and enable it to be a catalyst for constructive change. Blue Shield's mission and values are embodied in its proposal to guarantee health coverage for all Californians, the first time a major health plan has called for universal coverage. Blue Shield served 1.3 million HMO members and 1.2 million PPO members at January 1, 2006, with a provider network of 28,000 primary care physicians and 58,000 specialists, and over 600 hospitals. Blue Shield also served approximately 500,000 TRICARE members and 300,000 additional members. |