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Medical Mutual of Ohio

Type	Mutual
Founded	1934
Headquarters	Cleveland, Ohio
Key people	Rick Chircosta CEO
Industry	Health Insurance
Products	supplemental health and life insurance
Revenue	▲ $2.0 billion (2008)
Employees	2,800 (2009)
Website	Medmutual.com

Medical Mutual of Ohio is an American mutual health insurance company; it is the oldest and largest health insurance company based in Ohio and serves more than 1.6 million customers.^[1]

Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio’s historic Rose Building, the company also has statewide offices in Cincinnati, Columbus, Dayton, Independence, Richfield, Toledo and Youngstown, as well as an information systems facility in Beachwood.^[2] In 2008 Medical Mutual of Ohio ranked 806 out of the top 1,000 corporations in America.^[3]

Contents 1 History 2 Significant milestones 3 In the community 4 Articles & interviews 5 References 6 External links

[edit] History

In 1926, Elyria Memorial Hospital administrator John R. Mannix began experimenting with the idea of hospital pre-payment and the basic principles of insurance, eventually leading to the formation of the Cleveland Hospital Service Association in 1934. At this time, hospital associations such as the CHSA became known as Blue Cross Plans. In 1939, Blue Cross Plans united to form the Blue Cross Association^[4]

A few years later, in 1945, Medical Mutual of Cleveland was formed to provide coverage for doctor fees. CHSA merged with Akron Hospital Service to form Blue Cross of Northeast Ohio in 1957, and four years later, Medical Mutual of Cleveland became affiliated with the Blue Shield system.

In 1984, Blue Cross of Northeast Ohio and Medical Mutual of Cleveland merged to form Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Northern Ohio. Two years after the merge, the new company joined Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Northwest Ohio to form Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Ohio.^[5]

In 1997, the company left the Blue Cross/Blue Shield Association and re-claimed the name of one of its predecessors, becoming the present day Medical Mutual of Ohio.^[6]

[edit] Significant milestones

Below is a list of milestones in the corporate history of Medical Mutual of Ohio.

• 1934 - Cleveland Hospital Service Association formed to provide hospitalization insurance.
• 1939 - Blue Cross Association formed. CHSA was a member.
• 1945 - Medical Mutual of Cleveland formed to provide insurance for physicians’ bills.
• 1957 - CHSA merged with Akron Hospital Service to form Blue Cross of Northeast Ohio.
• 1961 - Medical Mutual of Cleveland becomes affiliated with the Blue Shield System.
• 1984 - Blue Cross of Northeast Ohio merged with Medical Mutual to form Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Northern Ohio.
• 1986 - Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Northern Ohio merged with Blue Cross of Northwest Ohio to form Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Ohio.
• 1993 - Among the fastest-growing healthcare companies with a managed care product known today as SuperMed. SuperMed proved beneficial to the Greater Cleveland Growth Association’s Council of Smaller Enterprises (COSE) and later became a national model for insurance among small businesses, chambers, and associations.
• 1997 - Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Ohio renamed Medical Mutual of Ohio. Kent Clapp named Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer.
• 1997 - Medical Mutual expanded beyond health insurance and created Antares Management Solutions to leverage the company’s computer systems.
• 2001 - Medical Mutual’s Preferred Provider Organization (PPO), SuperMed Plus, is recognized as the first PPO in the United States to earn Full Accreditation from the National Committee for Quality Assurance.
• 2003 - Medical Mutual purchased Consumers Life Insurance Company^[7], which held licenses to sell insurance in 38 states.
• 2007 - Medical Mutual acquired Carolina Care Plan^[8], one of the largest health maintenance organizations (HMOs) in South Carolina.

[edit] In the community

Medical Mutual is the “Official Health Insurer” of a variety of organizations. Medical Mutual insures numerous professional sports teams, including the Cleveland Browns, Cleveland Cavaliers, Cleveland Indians, Cincinnati Bengals and Columbus Blue Jakets. Besides pro teams, the company is also the official insuerer of numerous colleges and universities and local organizations, like the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.

[edit] Articles & interviews

• Inside Business Magazine: The Feeling's Mutual : After Losing CEO Kent Clapp in a tragic accident, Medical Mutual is back on track with longtime leader Rick Chiricosta. (June 2009)
• Reuters.com: Walgreens Accepts Medical Mutual of Ohio Prescription Plan (February 11, 2009)
• Reuters.com: Medical Mutual of Ohio Earns Top Accreditation for Product Excellence (March 31, 2008)
• Inside Business Magazine: Prescription for prevention: with today's aging population, Kent Clapp leads medical mutual of Ohio to new heights by focusing on preventative health care. (November 2007)

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Consumers Life Insurance Company official website>
• Carolina Care Plan official website