Looking out for our members

For 70 years, Regence BlueShield of Idaho has made looking out for our members our first priority. That member focus brought us into being in the lumber and mining camps in northern Idaho in 1946, when coworkers saw how financially devastating it could be when someone was injured and needed medical care. People all chipped in to a pool of money so neighbors “had their backs” in case of medical need. Our health plan was born.

We remain a nonprofit mutual health plan – owned by and accountable to our members. Our goal is accessible, affordable and high quality health care. We pursue accessibility by maintaining consumer-serving networks of doctors, hospitals and other services. We push for fixed-fee schedules with our providers, helping to maintain affordability for members. And we encourage our providers to base part of their pay on the quality of their care – not just the quantity.

As the steward of our Idaho members’ premium dollars, I’m pleased to report that most of Idaho’s physician groups and hospitals agree with us about health care access, affordability and quality. We’re working to get the rest to join us in this focus on the consumer.

Our commitment to our members in every corner of this great state is to continue looking out for you. Regardless of where you live or work, we “have your backs” – and will not waiver in our decades-old pledge to put your interests first.