December 16, 2009
Blue Cross Blue Shield Plans Competitive Edge by Mark Farrah Associates

KENNEBUNK, Maine--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) is a national federation of 39 independent BCBS companies that collectively provide healthcare coverage for over 100 million Americans. Blues organizations and their affiliates cover one of every three Americans—including nearly 20 million unionized workers, families and retirees and roughly 5.2 million federal employees, retirees and their families. Furthermore, Blues organizations cover more than half of all commercially insured persons in the U.S., and its territories.

As of June 30, 2009 Blues plans and their affiliates insured 102.3 million people through major medical plans, down -2% from the same period one year ago. More than half of the Blues aggregate membership is through self-funded or administrative services only (ASO) plans. Over the past 80 years, the organization grew to be the largest combined health benefits provider in America. In comparison, the next nearest competitor to the entire Blues organization is UnitedHealth Group, serving 50.9 million people in the U.S.

BCBS organizations have done slightly better in terms of membership than the rest of the health plans in the country during the recession. Blues advantages include the BlueCard system which enables members who are traveling or living in another plan’s service area to receive the same healthcare service benefits available in their home plan. The BCBSA’s Technology Evaluation Center and BlueWorldwide Expat program offer both cost savings and a competitive advantage to member Blues organizations. There is not a health plan in the country that does not compete with the Blues brand and for that reason, Mark Farrah Associates (MFA) decided to take a closer look at the federation in aggregate.

In the latest Healthcare Business Strategy report, MFA aggregated and analyzed enrollment and other data for all Blues affiliated plans. To read the full text of “Blue Cross Blue Shield Plans Strong Competitive Edge,” visit the Healthcare Business Strategy library on Mark Farrah Associates’ website www.markfarrah.com.

About Mark Farrah Associates (MFA)

MFA is a leading data aggregator and publisher providing health plan market data and analysis tools for the healthcare industry. Committed to simplifying analysis of health insurance business, our products include Medicare Business Online™, the new Medicare Benefits Analyzer™, Health Coverage Portal™, Health Insurer Insights™ and Health Plans USA™.

Contacts:
Mark Farrah Associates
Debra Donahue, 207-985-8484