Quick Facts

• 1956 The Fed
  

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  erated Health Insurance Association begins operations in Jamaica. It is based on the Blue Cross® System of health care coverage, which founder Sydney Anderson studied in the US, and felt would be appropriate to provide health care for the needy in Jamaica.
• 1964 Medical Association of Jamaica withdraws from active participation in the Blue Cross® Plan.
• 1967 Nuttall Hospital withdraws from participation in the Plan.
• 1968 Formation of the Blue Cross® Advisory Board.
  
  1968 Formation of the Blue Cross® Subscribers Association.
• 1968 Medical Association of Jamaica returns to Blue Cross of Jamaica Limited.
• 1969 Blue Cross of Jamaica Limited forms an association with the Credit Union League to offer health coverage to its members.
• 1969 Establishment of the Usual and Customary Rates which allows for all health care providers to be paid in full and in accordance with their usual charges.
• 1972 Blue Cross of Jamaica Limited receives a Multiphasic Screening Unit, leading to the start of its health screening and prevention programme.
• 1980 Founder, Sydney Anderson dies.
• 1980 Kenneth Tomlinson is appointed President and CEO of Blue Cross®.
• 1981 Hylton McIntosh takes over as President and CEO.
• 1984 Blue Cross® hosts its first Medical Symposium, a health education programme for health care providers and the general public.
• 1987 The old board dwelling which houses Blue Cross of Jamaica Limited at 85 Hope Road is refurbished to its present splendour. Blue Cross® invests in real estate with the building of the Emerson Court apartments on the property.
  
• 1988 Blue Cross® assumes major sponsorship of the National Primary and All Age Schools’ Athletic Championships staged by the Jamaica Teachers’ Association.
• 1990 Dr. Henry Lowe takes over as President and Chief Executive Officer of Blue Cross of Jamaica Limited.
• 1991 An agreement is signed to undertake a pilot project for a National Health Insurance Scheme for the private and public sector.
  1991 Harry Belafonte performs at a benefit concert sponsored by Blue Cross of Jamaica Limited. All the proceeds were distributed among hospitals islandwide.
• 1991 Blue Cross® introduces a pilot project “Preferred Pharmacy Provider” whereby selected pharmacies offer counseling and the option of buying cheaper generic drugs instead of brand name drugs.
• 1992 Blue Cross® Environmental Health Foundation is established to support the organizations community development programmes.
• 1993 Blue Cross of Jamaica Limited collaborates with International Group Services to launch CaribCare, a new health care plan which offers comprehensive medical insurance coverage for Jamaican and Caribbean Community (CARICOM) nationals studying at tertiary institutions in the USA and Canada.
• 1993 An agreement is signed between Blue Cross® and the Sugar Producers Federation of Jamaica (SPFJ) to provide comprehensive health care for approximately 13, 000 workers in the sugar industry.
• 1993 Blue Cross® and the Pharmaceutical Society of Jamaica sign a contract which allows pharmacists and their employees and families to benefit from a comprehensive health insurance scheme.
• 1993 Blue Cross® introduces a Culinary Arts Competition among staff to encourage healthy lifestyles.
• 1994 Blue Cross® Environmental Health Foundation receives funding from the Environmental Foundation of Jamaica to address the problem of lead poisoning in the community of Frazer’s Content, formerly Red Pond in St. Catherine.
• 1994 An agreement is signed for the provision of a health insurance scheme for Junior Doctors.
• 1994 A historic agreement is signed to provide comprehensive health care coverage for approximately 13,000 workers in the Sugar Industry.
• 1994 Computerization of Blue Cross® accounts leading to faster turnaround times and other benefits.
• 1995 A pilot project “Private Provider Family Planning Training Project” is launched to shift the delivery of family planning services more towards the private sector. The project was carried out in collaboration with Blue Cross of Jamaica Limited, The National Family Planning Board and Trevor Hamilton & Associates.
• 1995 A contract is signed between Blue Cross® and the National Transport Co-operative Society to provide comprehensive health coverage for its employees.
• 1998 Blue Cross of Jamaica Limited forms an alliance with Independence Blue Cross® of Pennsylvania, USA, which will eventually enable local Blue Cross® subscribers to access medical services at several hospitals throughout America.
• 1998 Blue Cross® donates hysteroscope equipment to Spanish Town Hospital.
• 1998 Blue Cross® signs a contract with Automated Information Systems (AIS) to begin implementation of an electronic claims adjudication system called the Provider Access System.
• 1999 Blue Cross® launches the Wellness Services Programme to comprise community wellness, corporate wellness, schools’ screening and explore a national wellness programme. The Wellness Services Unit is established to support the programme.
• 1999 Acquisition of a state of the art health screening mobile unit to expand the Wellness Services Programme
• 2000 Blue Cross of Jamaica Limited is the official health insurance sponsor of the Jamaican Olympic Team to the Sydney Olympics.
• 2000 Blue Cross of Jamaica Limited launches the publication “The Blue Cross® Story” which is a comprehensive documentation of the company’s history spanning its beginning from 1956 to the present.
• 2002 Blue Cross of Jamaica Limited announces two scholarships to the Champion Boy and Champion Girl of the Blue Cross® sponsored Jamaica Teachers’ Association National Primary, All-Age & Junior High Schools’ Athletic Championship. Students become eligible on entering high school.
• 2002 Henry Lowe retires as President & CEO.
• 2002 Richard Powell is appointed President & CEO.
• 2003 EconoBlue Health plan for the economically challenged is launched.
• 2003 Blue Cross of Jamaica Limited is selected to administer the NIGOLD Health Plan for 80,000 National Insurance Scheme pensioners on behalf of the Ministry of Labour & Social Security, Government of Jamaica starting December 1.
• 2003 Blue Cross of Jamaica Limited purchases a new system “GENELCO” to replace the PROCLAIM system and so boost administrative efficiency.
• 2004 Environmental Health Foundation acquires the right from IBC to appoint the majority of the Board of Trustees from Independence Blue Cross® of Philadelphia.
• 2004 A Sub Branch is opened in Ocho Rios, St. Ann.
• 2004 GENELCO System i-s commissioned into service on August 1.
• 2004 New 2003 Operating Software System purchased to drive BCJ technical operations.
• 2005 (May 26) BCJ launches Group Life AD&D product at the Hilton Kingston Hotel.
• 2005 (June 1) BCJ commences sale of Group Life AD&D product and expands range of services to include the introduction of an Annual Wellness Check-Up and coverage for a Nuclear Stress Test.
• 2005 (July 1) Dr. the Honourable Errol Morrison commences one (1) year tenure as President and CEO of Blue Cross of Jamaica Limited.