Health Care Service Corporation

Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC) is the largest customer-owned health insurance company in the United States, and an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association It also deals in life insurance products and is structured as a mutual legal reserve insurer. It concentrates its operations in Illinois and Texas. As the 4th largest health insurer in the US overall, it employs more than 22,000 people and serves nearly 15 million members.

History

In 1936, a group of Chicago civic leaders, hospital officials and physicians pooled their own resources and launched what was initially called the Chicago Plan for Hospital Care. The company's first health insurance policy became effective on January 21, 1937.

The company, incorporated as Hospital Service Corporation, enrolled 36,000 members in the first six months of operations. The company adopted the Blue Cross symbol in 1939 and the Blue Shield symbol in 1947.

The Blue Cross Plan for hospital services and the Blue Shield Plan for physician services operated separately until 1975 when they were merged as Health Care Service Corporation. By 1982, all the smaller Blue Cross plans in Illinois were also merged with the Chicago-based plan, and the company operated as Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois. Other Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans joined HCSC: Texas in 1998; New Mexico in 2001; Oklahoma in 2005; and Montana in 2013.

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Ben Ferguson

Benjamin Grant Ferguson (born August 28, 1981) is an American radio host, CNN conservative political commentator, and author. His nationally syndicated radio show, The Ben Ferguson Show, formerly aired throughout the United States on Radio America and is now syndicated by ICON Radio Network, of which Ben is the founder and owner, on Sundays from 6 - 9 PM CT.

Early life and education

Ben Ferguson was born to Bruce and Karen Ferguson on August 28, 1981. He has an older sister, Holly. Ferguson was homeschooled by his mother through the tenth grade. Ben has Scottish ancestry. A local talk-radio host throughout his teens, Ferguson attended Tusculum College, but later, graduated from Westminster Academy. He went on to the University of Mississippi, intending to play tennis; he became a member of Kappa Alpha Order Fraternity. He graduated from Ole Miss in 2004. Ben married Anna Bradley Ferguson in March 2010.

He is the youngest nationally syndicated radio personality in the United States. In August 2007, Ferguson joined 600 WREC in Memphis as its morning radio host. He was then moved to the afternoon drive show from 4-7 PM CT. On April 20, 2010, Ferguson resigned from WREC. In a statement he said, "I have left the station, effective today. I’m looking forward to a new market and a new show, in addition to my national show and my continuing appearances on such networks as CNBC, CNN and MSNBC."