Regence was founded on June 2, 1917, and born in Tacoma as Pierce County Industrial Medical and Surgical Service Bureau. The company was built on the idea of neighbors helping neighbors when a group of timber workers came together to pool a percentage of their wages for each other’s medical expenses as needed. Today the company is celebrating its 100th birthday along with 4,543 employees in its four-state footprint.
For a century, Regence has been committed to forging innovative new paths in health care. From leading the industry in perinatal palliative care to telemedicine, the company has focused on delivering a more personalized, consumer-centric experience to meet each patient’s unique needs.
“As Regence celebrates its 100th year of providing high-quality care to our local communities, we continue to reflect on and examine new ways of improving the delivery of care to our customers,” said Scott Powers, President of Health Plan Operations. “This milestone reminds us of our rich history in serving the Pacific Northwest and inspires us to reaffirm our century-old commitment to neighbors helping neighbors. We are grateful to our customers for standing by us all these years and look forward to serving them in the years to come.”
100 years of helping people and their families
Helping people access and utilize their health benefits is something Regence takes seriously. This has resulted in recognition for excellence in customer service among the Blues and from NCQA for high-quality care. However, it is the employees that truly set Regence apart from the rest and also what guarantees ongoing success in the years to come.
100 years of innovation
Transforming the health care industry is the company’s mission and while Regence has been around for a century, its people take pride in being part of the world’s oldest startup. Regence has led the industry by offering transparency tools and working to provide its members with unique and personalized products to help them navigate their care.
100 years of giving back
To celebrate the centennial and honor their roots in the community, Regence will deem August as the Month of Giving. All employees will have 4 hours of paid time off to volunteer with their favorite nonprofit organizations. Additionally, the company has extended its annual giving campaign from two weeks to the entire month of August. The company matches employee contributions up to $10,000.
About Regence
Regence serves more than 2.4 million members through Regence BlueShield of Idaho, Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon, Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah and Regence BlueShield (select counties in Washington). Each health plan is a nonprofit independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Regence is part of a family of companies dedicated to transforming health care by delivering innovative products and services that change the way consumers nationwide experience health care. For more information, please visit regence.com.