Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX) is the largest health insurer in Texas, with 45% of the commercial market, according to the American Medical Association, and nearly 8 million members in all 254 counties. It is a division of Health Care Service Corp. (HCSC), the largest customer-owned health insurer in the country, which also runs the Blue Cross plans in Illinois, Montana, New Mexico and Oklahoma.
The biggest change for 2027 is in Medicare. BCBSTX is ending its individual Medicare Advantage, Part D drug and dual-eligible plans on January 1, 2027 (source). HCSC will keep Medicare Advantage in some Texas counties under the HealthSpring brand it bought from Cigna.
Updated November 2026. This profile draws on company materials, regulatory filings, federal data and Health Plan News analysis. It is independent of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas; for questions about your coverage, call the number on your member ID card.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas at a Glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Parent | Health Care Service Corp., a mutual legal reserve company |
| Headquarters | Richardson, Texas (HCSC: Chicago) |
| BCBSTX president | Jim Springfield |
| HCSC CEO | Maurice Smith |
| Texas members | Nearly 8 million |
| HCSC 2025 results | $66.8 billion revenue; $1.9 billion net loss; 27.3 million members |
| ACA Marketplace | HealthCare.gov: Blue Advantage HMO, Blue Advantage Plus POS; about 957,000 individual members |
| Medicare Advantage | Individual BCBSTX plans end in 2027 |
| Medicaid | STAR, CHIP and STAR Kids |
ACA Marketplace
BCBSTX is the largest ACA exchange insurer in Texas, with 32% in 2024, and covers about 957,000 people in individual plans. Its 2027 rate changes range from a 12.2% decrease to a 22.3% increase depending on the plan, with average increases near 9% for its HMO and 10% for its POS plans (source). Texas grew Marketplace enrollment in 2026 even as most states shrank; see our Texas insurer guide.
Medicare Changes for 2027
BCBSTX members in individual Medicare Advantage, Blue Cross MedicareRx and Dual Care Plus plans must choose new coverage for 2027 during Open Enrollment, which ends December 7. HCSC is cutting its Medicare Advantage footprint from 948 counties in 30 states to 478 counties in 24 states, affecting about 127,000 of its 800,000 members (source). Employer group retiree plans continue.
Medicaid
BCBSTX serves Texas Medicaid and CHIP members through STAR, CHIP and STAR Kids. It was among the winners of the state’s 2024 STAR and CHIP procurement, which a court blocked in October 2024.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas by the Numbers
- Commercial market: BCBSTX holds 45% of the Texas commercial market and HCSC’s Blue plans hold 62% in Illinois, 57% in Oklahoma, 52% in Montana and 43% in New Mexico (2024 AMA data).
- Claim denials: BCBSTX’s HealthCare.gov plans denied 18.8% of in-network claims in 2024, in line with the 18.7% national rate, on 58.8 million claims (federal data compiled by KFF). See our claim denial rankings.
Recent Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas News
- Cigna Medicare purchase: HCSC closed its purchase of Cigna’s Medicare Advantage, Part D and Medicare supplement business on March 19, 2025. (source)
- 2025 loss: HCSC lost $1.9 billion in 2025, and Moody’s lowered its rating, citing Medicare integration. (source)
- Memorial Hermann: Memorial Hermann briefly left the BCBSTX network on April 1, 2026, before a new agreement on April 11. (source)
How To Contact Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas
| Purpose | Contact |
|---|---|
| Members | Number on your member ID card |
| Medicaid STAR and CHIP | 1-888-657-6061 (TTY 711) |
| STAR Kids | 1-877-688-1811 (TTY 711) |
| Website | bcbstx.com; Blue Access for Members portal |
For other carriers, see our profiles of the largest health insurance companies and follow our Health Insurance Companies hub.
Sources
ACASignups.net; ACASignups.net (from TDI/rate filings); AMA Competition in Health Insurance (2025); BCBSTX Blue Access for Members; BCBSTX CHIP Contact Us; BCBSTX Individual & Family Contact Us; BCBSTX Medicaid page; BCBSTX Who We Are; BCBSTX Who We Are; Becker’s Hospital Review; BCBSTX Who We Are; HCSC 2025 Annual Report; American Medical Association, Competition in Health Insurance (2025 update); CMS Transparency in Coverage public use file (2024, via KFF).