The first case of a new, unnamed virus was confirmed in the United States on January 21, 2020. Later that same month, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global health emergency. In March, it was classified as a global pandemic, and received its name: COVID-19. Life around the world had been turned upside down.

In America, families from coast to coast faced uncertainty and anxiety about their health, and terms like “lockdown,” “quarantine” and “social distancing” became part of our lexicon. Since the earliest days of the pandemic, Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BCBS) companies have been a steadfast partner in their communities, providing billions of dollars in response effort, community support, distributing accurate trusted health information and offering a neighborly helping hand as Americans weathered the crisis together.

All 35 BCBS companies continue to fight against COVID-19 in communities across the country, investing more than $12.8 billion in the nation’s recovery to date. We are expanding access to vaccines, educating communities, and meeting ongoing healthcare and social needs in many different ways – from sewing PPE for frontline workers and rapidly expanding telehealth in the early days of the pandemic to ensuring equitable access to vaccines and providing ongoing support to address food insecurity.

Read more about how BCBS companies and their employees are helping to lead America through a public health crisis.

The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association is an association of independent, locally operated Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies.