1980s

1982 Separate associations for Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans are merged, forming the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

1984

Blue Shield of California becomes the first health plan to cover a heart transplant at Stanford University Hospital. In the following decade, the Blue System would establish the Blue Cross and Blue Shield National Transplant Network, which is the Blue Quality Centers for Transplant (BQCT)^SM. The network currently includes seven transplant types and more than 60 transplant centers nationwide.

1985 Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association founded the Technology Evaluation Center (TEC) and pioneered the development of scientific criteria for assessing medical technologies.

Timeline

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