Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield and Cambia Health Solutions Join Together to Make Health Insurance Work Better for Their Local Communities

PORTLAND, Ore. & LITTLE ROCK, Ark.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Cambia Health Solutions (Cambia) and Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield (Arkansas Blue Cross) today announced that they have signed a definitive agreement to form a strategic affiliation that will improve and expand capabilities and offerings for their members and customers while remaining rooted in and committed to their local communities. The two organizations, which offer locally focused Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans, have complementary capabilities and a mutual vision for the future of health care.

By sharing operations teams and core technology platforms, a collaboration of Blue health plans will enhance customer and member experience, support broader access to high-quality care, and work to contain costs for members and customers.

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By sharing operations teams and core technology platforms, a collaboration of Blue health plans will enhance customer and member experience, support broader access to high-quality care, and work to contain costs for members and customers. Under the affiliation agreement, Arkansas Blue Cross will continue to operate as an Arkansas-based mutual health insurance company, maintaining its local brand identity, board of directors and its philanthropic foundation, the Blue and You Foundation for a Healthier Arkansas.

Members will retain their current coverage and continue to use their Arkansas Blue Cross insurance card just as they do today. Arkansas Blue Cross assets and foundation resources remain in Arkansas. Cambia will also maintain its foundation, and local health plans will operate in Idaho, Oregon, Utah and Washington, as they do now.

“Health care is changing quickly; to ensure we continue to be well positioned to serve our members now and into the future we must evolve in completely new ways,” said Curtis Barnett, CEO of Arkansas Blue Cross. “Joining with Cambia preserves the critical mission of non-profit community-focused health insurance. Together, we will continue to support members with local expertise and ensure every health care dollar is spent wisely.”

Arkansas Blue Cross and Cambia have a combined 180 years of commitment to serving their local communities and a long-standing collaborative relationship through such ventures as the Echo Innovation Alliance, formed in 2021, to jointly invest in innovative products and services to improve health. Cambia’s mission is to transform health care to work better for real people and be economically sustainable. The health solutions company brings experience offering high-quality, cost-effective health care through personalized member tools that make it easier for people to navigate their care. Founded in 1948, Arkansas Blue Cross is Arkansas's largest health insurance company. Arkansas Blue Cross specializes in managing complex national accounts and offers diverse health plans and wellness programs to serve Arkansans, including those that meet the needs of rural communities.

“This affiliation brings together two organizations with a shared purpose: to be a catalyst for transforming health care,” said Jared Short, president and CEO of Cambia. “By combining our strengths, we are expanding our ability to innovate for our customers, developing new solutions that make care simpler, more accessible, affordable and centered on the people we serve. Together we are building on our shared history of service and advancing a future where health care works better for everyone.”

The areas of focus for the affiliation include:

• Investing in transformative, financially sound programs to improve members' health outcomes. Examples include expanded solutions for maternal and family health, infrastructure for alternative payment models, and continued investment in provider tools that enable quicker, more-informed patient care decisions.
• Meeting the unique local health needs of members and communities. The affiliation will unite a breadth of rural expertise and tailored solutions for local communities such as advanced primary care, integrated behavioral health programs, digital health solutions, and savings on medications through affordable network pharmacies, online cost-comparison tools and convenient fill options.
• Improving the care experience with enhanced solutions for members and providers. Combined resources across operations and technology will expand plan capabilities, support cost savings, and simplify the experience for members and customers while delivering care that is more accessible, understandable, and actionable for members and providers.

The strategic affiliation is subject to regulatory approval in Arkansas and is expected to close in 2026.

In August 2025, Cambia announced a similar agreement with Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota (BCBSND), extending a unique model within the Blues that retains local focus and governance while providing the innovation and cost benefits of increased scale and shared resources. The BCBSND affiliation is also subject to regulatory approval in North Dakota and is expected to close in 2026.

For more information, visit the fact sheet.

About Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield

Founded in 1948, Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, is the largest health insurer in Arkansas. Arkansas Blue Cross and its affiliates have more than 3,200 employees. The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association is comprised of 34 independent, community-based and locally operated Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans that collectively provide healthcare coverage for nearly 106 million members — one in three Americans.

About Cambia Health Solutions

Cambia Health Solutions, headquartered in Portland, Oregon, is dedicated to transforming health care. We put people at the heart of everything we do as we work to make the health care system more economically sustainable and efficient for people and their families. Our company reaches millions of Americans nationwide, including more than 3.6 million people served by our regional health plans. To learn more about us, visit CambiaHealth.com.