History
Premera was founded as Washington Hospital Service on May 5, 1945, and began operating in Alaska in 1957. On March 14, 1969, the company's name was changed to Blue Cross of Washington and Alaska.
In 1994, Blue Cross of Washington and Alaska affiliated with Spokane's Medical Service Corporation, which had been founded in November 1933. In June 1998, the two organizations merged under the name Premera Blue Cross.
In 2002, Premera's executives first informed Washington commissioner Mike Kreidler of their intent to convert from a non-profit to a for-profit joint-stock company. After five years, the request was officially ended on March 5, 2007.
In October 2009, Premera waived deductible or co-pay for 2009-H1N1 vaccine fees for its fully insured members.
Read more about this topic: Premera Blue Cross
Famous quotes containing the word history:
“A great proportion of the inhabitants of the Cape are always thus abroad about their teaming on some ocean highway or other, and the history of one of their ordinary trips would cast the Argonautic expedition into the shade.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“What is most interesting and valuable in it, however, is not the materials for the history of Pontiac, or Braddock, or the Northwest, which it furnishes; not the annals of the country, but the natural facts, or perennials, which are ever without date. When out of history the truth shall be extracted, it will have shed its dates like withered leaves.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“Psychology keeps trying to vindicate human nature. History keeps undermining the effort.”
—Mason Cooley (b. 1927)