How it started
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 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 1964, the company changed its name to Blue Cross of Greater Philadelphia and in 1988, began doing business as Independence Blue Cross.
In October 2011, Independence launched a private, charitable foundation — the Independence Blue Cross Foundation, with a mission to transform health care through innovation in the communities it serves. The IBC Foundation partners with many local organizations to teach children how to live a healthier life. By the end of 2024, the IBX Foundation will have awarded grants totaling more than $85 million to support nonprofits and research improving the health and well-being of communities in southeastern Pennsylvania.
From Wikipedia’s article on Independence Blue Cross, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.2