Founded in 1948, Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield, an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, is the largest health insurer in Arkansas. Arkansas Blue Cross and our family of affiliated companies have more than 2,700 employees.
For more than 77 years, Arkansas Blue Cross has been trusted by Arkansans for reliable insurance plans. We offer health, dental and vision insurance policies for individuals and families who purchase their insurance directly and for employer-sponsored health plans.
Arkansas Blue Cross provides a comprehensive suite of health management tools and resources for our members. These resources support members at every stage of health, from those who are well to those managing acute or chronic conditions.
Not-for-profit organization
Arkansas Blue Cross differs from commercial insurers in important ways, including ownership. Arkansas Blue Cross is owned by our policyholders, not stockholders. As a not-for-profit mutual insurance company, we use premium dollars primarily to provide benefits to our customers. More than 80 cents of every premium dollar goes directly to medical care, including prescription drugs, hospital stays and doctor visits. We use the remaining funds for our operating expenses and legally required reserve funds, not shareholder dividends.
Maintaining a careful balance between premium income and benefits paid allows Arkansas Blue Cross to continue offering these products and to meet our policyholders’ needs over the long term.
Locations
The main office of Arkansas Blue Cross is located in Little Rock.
Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield
601 S. Gaines St.
Little Rock, AR 72201
800-421-1112
Welcome Centers
Arkansas Blue Cross offers ArkansasBlue Welcome Centers across the state, giving people convenient ways to connect with our health insurance experts by phone, video or in-person. Visit a Welcome Center to receive friendly customer service, shop for health plans or pay a bill. Our locations include Fayetteville, Fort Smith, Hot Springs, Little Rock, Jonesboro, Pine Bluff and Rogers.
Northwest Arkansas Corporate Center
In November 2021, Arkansas Blue Cross opened our Northwest Arkansas Corporate Center in Springdale. It features a large community room on the ground floor, as well as a scenic outdoor space and pavilion that nonprofit community groups may use for special events, depending on availability. This building is located at:
Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield Springdale- NWA Corporate Center
5288 W. Don Tyson Pkwy
Springdale, AR 72762
479-527-2310
Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association affiliation
Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield is a member of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, which is made up of independent, locally operated Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans. Through this membership, Arkansas Blue Cross is licensed by the Association to offer health insurance benefits and related services in Arkansas under the Blue Cross and Blue Shield names and service marks.
As a Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association member Plan, Arkansas Blue Cross is managed and governed by a local, community-based Board of Directors. A majority of the board members are public members, meaning they come from the community and do not work in the healthcare industry. This structure reflects the strong commitment Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans have to their local communities and customers, a level of civic involvement that commercial insurance companies may not share.
Neither the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association nor the other member Plans of the Association act as guarantors of the financial obligations of Arkansas Blue Cross. However, Arkansas Blue Cross and the other member Plans in the Association are subject to uniform financial standards, established by the Association, that are intended to foster a system in which each member Plan maintains adequate financial resources to meet its obligations to its customers.
National Institute for Healthcare Management (NIHCM) affiliation
In 1993, Arkansas Blue Cross joined 11 of the nation's leading healthcare companies to form the National Institute for Health Care Management (NIHCM). NIHCM is a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., dedicated to improving healthcare. Its work focuses on sponsoring high-quality, non-partisan research on healthcare issues, serving as a clearinghouse for research on healthcare management and state-managed care data, and promoting innovation to continuously strengthen the healthcare system.
History of Arkansas Blue Cross
After World War II, Arkansas’ healthcare system reached a turning point. In April 1946, the Arkansas Medical Society and the Arkansas Hospital Association both began exploring the idea of a statewide hospital and medical insurance program, an approach that was gaining momentum across the country. When the two organizations realized they were pursuing the same goal, they chose to work together. In June 1946, a joint committee traveled to Chicago to gather information and meet with leaders from the national Blue Cross Commission and other healthcare organizations.
After extensive discussion about whether the program should operate as a commercial or nonprofit venture, the group decided to request proposals from all 114 carriers licensed to offer hospital and surgical coverage in Arkansas. Only six carriers responded, and the group concluded the proposed coverage was too broad. The group invited the bidders to suggest alternative approaches but ultimately did not accept any of the recommendations.
The group ultimately chose a program offered by the John Marshall Company, a new firm formed by individuals with experience in other Blue Cross Plans. Although the company brought strong industry expertise, it lacked sufficient capital and closed in 1948.
Committed to protecting Arkansans enrolled in the John Marshall plan, the two organizations combined their resources and secured additional funding to establish a new nonprofit organization. This new venture followed the principles of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Commission and laid the foundation for a more stable, long-term solution for healthcare insurance coverage in the state.
Three loans provided the initial capital to establish the nonprofit organization:
- $10,000 from the Arkansas Medical Society
- A $14,425 bed-assessment loan from the Arkansas Hospital Association
- $5,000 from the Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation
On Dec. 3, 1948, Arkansas Insurance Commissioner Jack G. McKenzie approved the articles of incorporation for Arkansas Medical and Hospital Service, Inc. This organization later became known as Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield.
The joint committee hired Jack L. Redheffer of Kansas City as the organization's first executive director, and the fledgling insurer set up shop in Room 815 of the Rector Building at Third and Spring streets with just five employees and a lot of enthusiasm.
Learn more about our history by viewing the company timeline.
Our vision, mission and values
Our vision is to create a healthcare system that provides affordable and safe care for all citizens.
Our mission is to improve the health, financial security and peace of mind of the members and communities we serve.
Our values include:
We believe our strength comes from being an independent, mutual, not-for-profit health insurance company and that we deliver the best value to our customers and society by maintaining that structure.
We work towards the long-term benefit of the communities we serve, not for short-term rewards or gains. We remain financially strong and stable so we can serve future generations.
Our members are our owners, and we keep their interests central in our business decision-making.
Because the best customer is an informed customer, we provide information to allow people to make knowledgeable healthcare decisions and expenditures.
Our work environment fosters personal excellence, growth, flexibility, and teamwork. We believe work is a major part of our lives and should be a fulfilling experience. Personal accountability and responsibility are cornerstones of our philosophy.
We believe in building and maintaining collaborative, long-term relationships with physicians, hospitals and other providers. These relationships are characterized by a mutual interest in our members and a focus on improving the affordability, delivery and quality of care for our members.
We conduct our operations with the highest degree of integrity, honesty and fairness.
We believe in corporate citizenship and work to improve the quality of life for all Arkansans.
We celebrate our successes, learn from our mistakes, and continually strive to improve.
Mailing address
Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield
PO Box 2181
Little Rock, AR 72203-2181