Blue Cross & Blue Shield Of South Carolina

Blue Cross & Blue Shield Of South Carolina (BCBSSC), doing business as Blue Cross, is a major healthcare insurance and administration company that provides extensive services to the federal government through its subsidiaries. These subsidiaries, including Palmetto GBA, CGS Administrators, and Companion Data Services, offer a wide range of healthcare administration services, particularly in support of Medicare and Medicaid programs. BCBSSC leverages its expertise in healthcare operations, claims processing, and IT infrastructure to deliver critical support to federal agencies, primarily the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

The company's federal contract work spans multiple areas of healthcare administration. Palmetto GBA serves as a Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) for various jurisdictions, processing claims, performing provider enrollment duties, and supporting program integrity efforts. For instance, Palmetto GBA was awarded a $1.19 billion contract to serve as the MAC for Jurisdiction M, covering several states. CGS Administrators similarly provides MAC services, including a $535 million contract for Jurisdiction J15 A/B. Both subsidiaries also support the Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) program, with contracts ranging from $224 million to $315 million. Companion Data Services focuses on IT infrastructure, securing a $631 million contract to provide a Continuously Available CMS Hosting Environment. These contracts, primarily awarded by CMS, do not carry set-aside designations and often involve partnerships with specialized subcontractors for additional support.

While BCBSSC's subsidiaries are heavily involved in federal contracting, the company's participation in federal grant programs appears limited based on the provided information. The only grant-related activity mentioned is a subcontract awarded to Karna LLC, a partner of CGS Administrators, to develop online healthcare practitioner education courses on building COVID-19 vaccine confidence. This work was part of a grant awarded to the ACOG Foundation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The lack of extensive grant activity suggests that BCBSSC's primary mode of supporting federal healthcare initiatives is through direct contracts rather than grants.

BCBSSC's subsidiaries hold several significant Indefinite Delivery Vehicles (IDVs) that facilitate ongoing support to federal agencies. Palmetto GBA holds a $100 million Blanket Purchase Agreement for the Competitive Bidding Implementation Contractor (CBIC) program, supporting CMS's durable medical equipment competitive bidding efforts. Both Palmetto GBA and CGS Administrators have positions on the $2 billion Provider Enrollment and Oversight IDIQ, which allows CMS to procure a wide range of services related to Medicare provider enrollment and oversight. Additionally, Palmetto GBA and Companion Data Services hold Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) contracts with the General Services Administration, enabling them to offer various IT and healthcare administration services to federal agencies. These IDVs demonstrate BCBSSC's strategic positioning to provide long-term, comprehensive support to federal healthcare programs.