Blue Cross Blue Shield Association
97% goes to programs
Blue Cross Blue Shield Association is a 501(c)(4) organization based in Chicago, Illinois, registered in 1958, with $862,659,881 in FY2024 revenue. CharityIndex grades it A+, and it directs about 97% of spending to programs.
200 E Randolph, Chicago, IL, 60601 EIN 13-5656874 Since 1958
Revenue (FY2024)
$862.7M
▲ 5.3% vs prior year
Health median: $840K
Expenses (FY2024)
$851.5M
Net assets
$332.1M
Employees
1,393
CharityIndex rating
One independent A+ to F grade from four published criteria, each scored separately from IRS filings and combined by weight.
A+
A+Program efficiency40% of the rating97% to programs
Measures how much of every dollar spent actually reaches programs, plus what it costs to raise $100 of donations. The worse of the two measures sets the letter (85%+ to programs is an A; under $15 to raise $100 is an A), averaged over the three most recent filings. For Blue Cross Blue Shield Association: 97% to programs earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
AFinancial health25% of the rating5 mo reserves · +1% margin
Measures whether the organization is built to last: how many months its reserves would cover expenses (3+ months earns an A-range score, but hoarding 5+ years of budget is capped) and whether it runs a surplus or a deficit. For Blue Cross Blue Shield Association: 5 mo reserves · +1% margin earns a A on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
A+Governance25% of the rating6 of 6 checks met
Checks how the organization is run, from its own Form 990: an independent board majority, a board of five or more, conflict-of-interest, whistleblower and document-retention policies, and independently audited financials. The share of disclosed checks that pass sets the letter. For Blue Cross Blue Shield Association: 6 of 6 checks met earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
A+Transparency10% of the rating5 of 5 disclosure signals
Counts five disclosure signals: a recent filing, a mission statement, program descriptions, a listed website, and the full expense breakdown. More disclosure, better letter. For Blue Cross Blue Shield Association: 5 of 5 disclosure signals earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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Mission
The organization's tax exempt purpose is promoting through independent blue cross and blue shield member plans, the common good and general welfare of the community by fostering broadbased health insurance coverage.
What they do
As an association of member plans, the association (1) coordinates advertising and communication programs, providing policy and representation of member interests, (2) monitors and fosters the financial stability of all the plans, and (3) supports the ability of the plans to operate efficiently by providing conferences, consulting and miscellaneous services to the plans.
The bluecard program enables blue plan members to receive the benefits of their insurance contracts while traveling or living in another member plan's geographic service area. through bluecard, blue plan members are given seamless national access to physicians and hospitals that participate in blue networks. additionally, the program links participating healthcare providers with the independent blue cross and blue shield plans through a single electronic network for claims processing and reimbursement.
The association provides optional consulting services and other miscellaneous projects; operation of the national employee benefits administration program that provides a comprehensive group package of employee benefits programs to the plans; a closed private, wide area network that links the computer and information resources of the plans.
Contact & location
- Address
- 200 E Randolph, Chicago, IL, 60601
- City
- Chicago
- State
- Illinois
- Category
- Health Care
- Subcategory
- Health Care Financing
- Phone
- …
- Website
- …
Financial trends
Revenue grew from $413.9M (FY2013) to $862.7M (FY2024) across 12 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Financial health & position (FY2024)
Liabilities $913.8MNet assets $332.1M
Operating margin
1.3%
Revenue exceeded expenses in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$1.2B
Total liabilities
$913.8M
Net assets
$332.1M
Salaries & benefits
$283.4M
33% of expenses
Board members
34
33 independent
Financials by year
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $862,659,881▲5.3% | $851,503,421▲6.7% | $332,145,095▲4.7% | $1,245,975,964▲10.6% | 990 |
| 2023 | $819,123,548▲8.4% | $797,976,234▲14.3% | $317,138,380▲13.1% | $1,126,787,082▲9.6% | 990 |
| 2022 | $755,791,525▼3.1% | $697,934,609▼1.1% | $280,388,895▲158% | $1,027,832,993▲24.9% | 990 |
| 2021 | $779,983,196▲15.9% | $705,382,676▲6.7% | $108,669,263▲632% | $823,249,199▼25.2% | 990 |
| 2020 | $672,909,630▼3.3% | $661,065,961▲0.3% | -$20,436,677▼113% | $1,101,136,173▲26.2% | 990 |
| 2019 | $695,794,709▲14.8% | $659,070,100▲9.4% | $160,560,366▲66.9% | $872,476,835▲9.6% | 990 |
| 2018 | $606,168,219▲2.4% | $602,641,023▲1.6% | $96,224,245▼2.5% | $795,746,293▲9.3% | 990 |
| 2017 | $591,991,374▲10.4% | $593,423,726▲10.9% | $98,717,230▼7.7% | $727,717,175▲12.6% | 990 |
| 2016 | $536,130,105▲6.3% | $534,956,329▲5.0% | $106,954,593▼3.5% | $646,430,670▼0.6% | 990 |
| 2015 | $504,178,349▲10.2% | $509,690,116▲13.4% | $110,809,786▲7.9% | $650,271,510▼6.0% | 990 |
| 2014 | $457,383,677▲10.5% | $449,635,361▲5.8% | $102,686,388▼23.9% | $691,620,828▲17.6% | 990 |
| 2013 | $413,909,483 | $425,142,555▲5.9% | $135,018,348▲29.3% | $588,221,414▲7.8% | 990 |
| 2012 | — | $401,591,171▼1.0% | $104,440,198▲0.1% | $545,808,284▲14.4% | 990 |
| 2011 | — | $405,523,272▲1.8% | $104,285,548▼16.0% | $477,055,743▼4.8% | 990 |
| 2010 | — | $398,268,942 | $124,167,171 | $500,973,450 | 990 |
Original Form 990 PDFs (the Form column) are served by ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, as filed with the IRS. Create a free account to download the CSV report.
Leadership & compensation (FY2024)
Highest-paid: Kim Keck — $6,155,415 (0.72% of total expenses)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kim Keck | President and Ceo | 40 | $6,155,415 |
| William Nehs | Senior Vice President (end 06/24) | 40 | $1,455,280 |
| Jennifer Vachon | Executive Vice President (end 07/24) | 40 | $1,302,007 |
| Sean Robbins | Executive Vice President (end 05/24) | 40 | $1,284,466 |
| Christina Fisher | Executive Vice President & Cfo | 40 | $1,097,094 |
| Kari Hedges | Senior Vice President | 40 | $848,926 |
| Kelly Williams | Vice President (end 06/24) | 40 | $847,644 |
| Lachlan Tidmarsh | Senior Vice President | 40 | $799,235 |
| David Merritt | Svp Policy and Advocacy | 40 | $764,500 |
| Christopher Lugo | Vp & Chief Info Sec Office | 40 | $746,528 |
| John Banta | Vp Investments & Neba | 40 | $727,853 |
| Lynn Merritt | Svp and Chief Hr Officer | 40 | $702,731 |
| David Yoder | Svp Federal Employee Progr | 40 | $674,882 |
| Mark Talluto | Vice President | 40 | $595,870 |
| Kris Haltmeyer | Vice President | 40 | $555,227 |
| Kristin Peng | Chief Oper Officer (begin 07/24) | 40 | $543,674 |
| Erin Barney | Vice President | 40 | $522,621 |
| Reed Melton | Former Vice President | 0 | $521,852 |
| Rebecca D'amico | Vice President | 40 | $491,762 |
| Brian Bauer | Vp App. Solutions | 40 | $490,842 |
Top vendors & contractors (FY2024)
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Cognizant Technology Solutions Us Corp | Information Technology | $44,416,828 |
| Ust Global Inc | Information Technology | $43,822,180 |
| Cravath Swaine & Moore LLP | Legal Services | $37,049,846 |
| Infosys Public Health Services Inc | Business Consulting | $19,595,591 |
| Beeline Settlement Company | Technical Consulting Services | $18,793,013 |
Grants received · $1.8M total
4 grants to Blue Cross Blue Shield Association totaling $1.8M, reported by foundations on their Schedule I filings.
| Grantmaker | Purpose | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food Bank For New York City | Program support | 2023 | $6,000 |
| Scripps Research Institute | Grants for scientific research | 2022 | $111,222 |
| Scripps Research Institute | Grants for scientific research | 2021 | $403,849 |
| Scripps Research Institute | Grants for scientific research | 2020 | $1,261,110 |
Grants made · $1.2M in FY2024
16 grants totaling $1.2M in FY2024 — showing the 15 largest. All grants made by Blue Cross Blue Shield Association →
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Boys & Girls Clubs of America | General support | $550,000 |
| Alliance To Fight For Health Care | General support | $150,000 |
| Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation On Health Care | General support | $100,000 |
| National Association For the Advancement of Colored People | General support | $100,000 |
| American Action Forum Inc | General support | $50,000 |
| March of Dimes Inc | General support | $50,000 |
| The Foundation For Research On Equal Opportunity | General support | $50,000 |
| Keep Americans Covered | General support | $50,000 |
| Blessings In A Backpack Inc | General support | $28,000 |
| Union League Boys & Girls Clubs | General support | $20,000 |
| Gardeneers | General support | $15,000 |
| Escalante Center | General support | $13,000 |
| Cradles To Crayons Inc | General support | $12,500 |
| Sandy Hook Promise Foundation | General support | $10,000 |
| YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago | General support | $10,000 |
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Frequently asked questions
- Is Blue Cross Blue Shield Association a legitimate nonprofit?
- Yes. Blue Cross Blue Shield Association is a 501(c)(4) organization registered with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service under EIN 13-5656874, based in Chicago, Illinois.
- What is Blue Cross Blue Shield Association's EIN?
- Blue Cross Blue Shield Association's Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 13-5656874.
- How much revenue does Blue Cross Blue Shield Association report?
- Blue Cross Blue Shield Association reported $862,659,881 in total revenue on its fiscal year 2024 IRS Form 990 filing.
- How much of Blue Cross Blue Shield Association's spending goes to programs?
- Blue Cross Blue Shield Association spends about 97% of its total expenses on programs, based on its latest IRS Form 990.
- What financial grade does Blue Cross Blue Shield Association have?
- CharityIndex grades Blue Cross Blue Shield Association A+, based on program efficiency and fundraising cost.
- How much does Blue Cross Blue Shield Association's highest-paid employee make?
- The highest reported compensation on Blue Cross Blue Shield Association's latest Form 990 is $6,155,415, paid to Kim Keck (President and Ceo).
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Data for Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (EIN 13-5656874) comes from the IRS Business Master File and e-filed Form 990 returns, via CharityIndex. Figures reflect what the organization reported to the IRS for each fiscal year.