LISTEN NOW | America’s health insurance system didn’t start as a profit machine—it began as a community fix during the Great Depression. In 1929, a small prepaid hospital plan for Texas teachers became the nonprofit model behind Blue Cross and Blue Shield, prioritizing access, affordability, and public service. For decades, nonprofit insurers dominated, keeping costs relatively contained and medical spending focused on patient care. That balance began to shift after World War II and accelerated with Medicare, Medicaid, and later policy changes that opened the door to for-profit insurers.
How For-Profit Health Insurance Turned…
LISTEN NOW | America’s health insurance system didn’t start as a profit machine—it began as a community fix during the Great Depression. In 1929, a small prepaid hospital plan for Texas teachers became the nonprofit model behind Blue Cross and Blue Shield, prioritizing access, affordability, and public service. For decades, nonprofit insurers dominated, keeping costs relatively contained and medical spending focused on patient care. That balance began to shift after World War II and accelerated with Medicare, Medicaid, and later policy changes that opened the door to for-profit insurers.