Blue Cross Blue Shield
/ˌbluː krɒs ˌbluː ˈʃiːld/
/ˌbluː krɔːs ˌbluː ˈʃiːld/
- the largest private health insurance company in the US. Blue Shield began in 1917 and its main competitor Blue Cross began in 1929. They joined in 1982. The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association consists of a number of independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies covering the whole of the US and Puerto Rico.