| Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida has a long history in | | | | the school 21 days of hospital care for a total of six |
| the Sunshine State of providing comprehensive health | | | | dollars a year. That coverage slowly extended to |
| care solutions to the residence. Inside Florida, the | | | | other businesses around Dallas over the next few |
| company history begins in 1944. That year the Florida | | | | years. The American Hospital Association took the |
| Hospital Service Corporation started providing | | | | Blue Cross symbol and used it as an emblem for |
| coverage in Jacksonville. This corporation eventually | | | | insurance plans that met their standards. That was in |
| became Blue Cross of Florida. Two years later, a | | | | 1939. In 1960, the Blue Cross emblem became part of |
| separate company formed under the name of the | | | | the Blue Cross Association. Part of what would |
| Florida Medical Services Corporation. This second | | | | become Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida was part of |
| company eventually they came Blue Shield of Florida. | | | | this organization. |
| The two ended up combining in 1980 to create the | | | | The basic concepts behind Blue Shield began in the |
| new Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida. | | | | Pacific Northwest in the early part of the 20th century. |
| The company history of Blue Cross Blue Shield of | | | | People in lumber and mining camps paid monthly fees |
| Florida goes back even further at the national level. At | | | | to medical service groups in exchange for medical |
| the national level, the Blue Cross and Blue Shield | | | | care provided by physicians. Officially, according to |
| Association indirectly or directly provides health | | | | company history, the first Blue Shield came about in |
| coverage to over 100 million people in the United | | | | California in 1939. In 1948, the symbol extended to nine |
| States. However, in the beginning Blue Cross was a | | | | plans that came under the name of the Associated |
| separate organization from Blue Shield. In order to | | | | Medical Care Plan. Plan members eventually renamed |
| understand the full history of the company, you need | | | | the group as the National Association of Blue Shield |
| to understand how each side developed independently. | | | | Plans. The final form of the merged companies came |
| Blue Cross began providing health care coverage in | | | | about in 1982 when the two companies merged to |
| 1929. The focus of this organization was to cover the | | | | become the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. |
| cost of hospital services. According to company | | | | Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida was one of its |
| history, the first healthcare plan they offered began at | | | | members. |
| Baylor University in Dallas. They offered teachers at | | | | |