Caring Foundation

The Caring Foundation, founded by Independence Blue Cross (IBC) and Highmark^® Blue Shield, helps to provide free or low-cost Keystone Health Plan East HMO coverage to uninsured children and low-cost health insurance to uninsured adults in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties.

Health Insurance Plans Administered Through the Caring Foundation

Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
Free, low-cost, or full-cost Keystone Health Plan East HMO coverage for uninsured children and teens through 18 years of age. Low-Cost CHIP costs $34.84, $51.77, or $62.73 per month, per child, and Full-Cost CHIP cost $270.35 per month, per child, depending on the family’s income. IBC is the only CHIP contractor in our region to subsidize the Low Cost CHIP monthly premium.

Special Care^SM*
A low-cost, limited-benefit policy providing traditional fee-for-service health coverage for uninsured adults and children in southeastern Pennsylvania.

The number of children of needy families insured by the Caring Foundation has increased from 4,000 in 1990 to more than 32,000 today.

IBC and Highmark Blue Shield donate the resources needed to cover administrative costs of the Foundation and have also provided a dollar-for-dollar match to all community contributions. Financial contributions continue to support the Foundation’s work with uninsured children. The Foundation administers the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s CHIP program in southeastern Pennsylvania, and contributes all costs that exceed the administrative fee paid by the state.

The Caring Foundation, a United Way Agency, provides a subsidy to children in Low-Cost CHIP. In 2011, the Caring Foundation dedicated more than $1,000,000 towards its goal of making health care more affordable to uninsured children from working families.

* Special Care is not affiliated with SPECIAL CARE, Inc., a home care company.