Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota

What Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota does

Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota (BCBSND) is a not-for-profit, member-owned health insurance company founded in 1940 and headquartered in Fargo, North Dakota. It is the largest health insurer in North Dakota, serving individual and family customers, Medicare beneficiaries, employer groups, and Medicaid Expansion members through offices in Fargo, Bismarck, Grand Forks, and Minot, and a network covering 99% of ND doctors and 100% of ND hospitals. As an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, BCBSND extends member coverage to 50 states and 190+ countries while maintaining a state-specific focus, with reported member satisfaction of approximately 96%.

BCBSND's product portfolio centers on four insurance lines (Individual/Family, Medicare, Employer Group, Medicaid Expansion) delivered through direct-to-consumer channels, licensed insurance producers, employer sales teams, and the HealthCare.gov Marketplace. The core member experience is the BCBSND.me digital health navigator, which consolidates benefits management, health recommendations, and virtual care access. The company has built a FHIR-compliant technology stack including a Developer Portal (devportal.bcbsnd.com) and Patient Access API enabling third-party interoperability, and it operates an 8-person Member Advocacy Program for complex case navigation.

BCBSND generates revenue primarily through monthly health insurance premiums across its four product lines, with pricing varying by plan type, deductible, and member characteristics. The company operates the BCBSND Caring Foundation, a 501(c)(3) entity established in 1989 that directs nearly $1M annually to 100+ nonprofits across all 53 ND counties. In 2025, BCBSND completed a strategic affiliation with Cambia Health Solutions while retaining local governance, and in 2026 joined the CMS ACCESS Model for chronic care management.

Name

Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota

Legal name

Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota

Website

https://bcbsnd.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1940

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota is a not-for-profit, member-owned health insurer founded in 1940 and the largest health insurer in North Dakota, serving individuals, families, Medicare beneficiaries, employer groups, and Medicaid Expansion members across the state via a near-universal ND provider network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Health Insurance

NAICS

Direct Health and Medical Insurance Carriers (524114), Direct Life, Health, and Medical Insurance Carriers (52411)

SIC

Accident & Health Insurance (6321)

akta.pro primary industry

MA-PD Plans (Medicare Advantage with Prescription Drug Coverage) (FSAIAGAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Medicare Supplement (Medigap) (FSAIAEAG), Employer-Sponsored Dental & Vision (Group) (FSAIAHAH), Medicaid/CHIP Dental & Vision Benefits Administration (FSAIAHAK)

Keywords

• Health insurance plans
• Medicare coverage
• Employer group plans
• Medicaid expansion
• Health insurance provider

Headquarters

HQ city

Fargo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Health Insurance Premiums: BCBSND operates as a health insurer collecting premiums from individuals, employers, and government programs (Medicare, Medicaid). Premium revenue is the primary revenue stream, collected on a monthly basis from members and group plan sponsors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota is a not-for-profit, member-owned health insurance company selling Individual and Family Plans, Medicare Plans, Employer Group Plans, Medicaid Expansion coverage, and supplemental Dental and Vision coverage to North Dakota residents and businesses. Coverage is administered through digital member tools (BCBSND.me, Virtual Care), the Member Advocacy Program, and a nationwide provider network accessed via the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.

Product overview

Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota is a not-for-profit member-owned health insurance company and the largest health insurer in North Dakota. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of health insurance products including Individual and Family Plans, Medicare Plans, Employer Plans, and Medicaid Expansion coverage. The core member experience is delivered through BCBSND.me, a digital health navigator portal that consolidates benefits management, health recommendations, and care guidance. Additional services include Virtual Care telehealth, the Member Advocacy Program for complex medical cases, and Health & Well-being Programs. The company also operates the BCBSND Caring Foundation as a charitable arm focused on behavioral health, social drivers of health, and disease prevention. For technology integration, BCBSND provides a Developer Portal with Patient Access API supporting FHIR standards for third-party healthcare application development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Individual and Family Plans Health insurance plans for individuals and families, including options available through the Health Insurance Marketplace with federal tax credit eligibility. Sold direct on bcbsnd.com, by phone, and through licensed agents in North Dakota.
• Medicare Plans Health coverage options for Medicare beneficiaries, including Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement, and Medicare Part D prescription drug plans. Sold through Medicare-licensed agents and the bcbsnd.com Medicare section.
• Employer Group Plans Group health insurance plans offered by BCBSND to North Dakota businesses as employee benefits, with employer and employee premium contributions and access to the BCBS national provider network.
• Medicaid Expansion North Dakota Medicaid Expansion health coverage for eligible low-income individuals and families, including enrollment, renewal, and ongoing coverage-change support, administered by BCBSND.
• Dental and Vision Coverage Dental and vision insurance options integrated with BCBSND health plans, including tools to find dentists and vision providers through the BCBSND coverage network.
• BCBSND Developer Portal and Healthcare API Platform Enterprise healthcare API platform for third-party developers to register apps, configure credentials, and access FHIR-compliant APIs for healthcare application development. Includes HIPAA compliance and 99.9% uptime.
• Patient Access API FHIR-based HIPAA-compliant API enabling members to access their health information including claims data, encounter data, and clinical data through third-party applications on smartphones, tablets, computers, and other devices.

Quantifiable outcome

• Member satisfaction rate approximately 96%
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cambia Health SolutionscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 October 2025BCBSND announced a strategic affiliation with Cambia Health Solutions designed to retain local governance while enabling innovation and cost savings. Cambia serves over 3.6 million people across the Blue Cross Blue Shield system. The affiliation is pending regulatory clearance.
• American Foundation for Suicide Prevention - North Dakota ChaptercoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 3 June 2025Strike Out the Stigma campaign partnership with Badlands Big Sticks, Bismarck Larks, Minot Honeybees, Minot Hot Tots, and Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks. For every strikeout thrown at July home games, BCBSND Caring Foundation donates to AFSP-ND to support suicide prevention efforts.
• FirstLinkcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 22 April 2025Shut Out the Stigma partnership with Bismarck Bobcats, Fargo Force, Minot Minotauros, and UND Fighting Hawks supporting FirstLink's 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and 211 resource line. Campaign raised funds to support over 750 life-saving phone calls.
• Nexus-PATH Family HealingcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 8 August 2024Strike Out the Stigma campaign donated $22,900 to Nexus-PATH Family Healing, a nonprofit serving North Dakotan families and youth with emotional and behavioral health challenges. Over 62 games, four teams threw 458 strikeouts.
• Sources of StrengthcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 18 April 2024Shut Out the Stigma campaign raised $24,000 to provide Sources of Strength mental health curriculum to four rural North Dakota schools. Partnership with Bismarck Bobcats, Fargo Force, and UND Fighting Hawks.
• The Village Family Service CentercoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 28 August 2023Strike Out the Stigma campaign donated $14,500 to The Village Family Service Center, which provides youth mental health services throughout North Dakota. Funds raised through Bismarck Larks, Minot Hot Tots, and Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks partnerships.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 June 2023BCBSND Caring Foundation joined the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association national partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America to combat youth mental health crisis through trauma-informed approaches. BCBSA and BCBS companies are investing over $10 million over four years to train 48,000 staff across 5,000+ Clubs.
• Blue Cross Blue Shield AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 June 2023BCBSND is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, participating in national partnerships including the Boys & Girls Clubs of America mental health initiative and accessing the BCBS national provider network spanning 50 states and 190+ countries.
• Arkansas Blue Cross & Blue ShieldminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoth Arkansas Blue Cross & Blue Shield and BCBSND are exploring affiliations with Cambia Health Solutions, creating a potential network of affiliated BCBS plans.
• North Dakota State University Center for Social ResearchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBCBSND Caring Foundation commissioned NDSU's Center for Social Research to conduct the Social Drivers of Health Study, investigating health factors across five established categories affecting North Dakotans.
• University of North Dakota Center for Rural HealthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRural Health Grants are administered by the Center for Rural Health at UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences, partnering with rural healthcare providers to address unique health challenges.
• BIO GirlscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerShut Out the Stigma partnership supporting improving mental health of adolescent girls through empowerment programs. BCBSND Caring Foundation donates $50 per save made by Bismarck Bobcats, Fargo Force, UND Fighting Hawks, and Minot Minotauros during March home games.
• Brady Oberg Legacy FoundationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerStrike Out the Stigma partnership to raise awareness about mental health resources. For every strikeout thrown, BCBSND Caring Foundation donates to support military retreats and mental health programs.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Humana: Major Medicare Advantage-focused carrier with growing presence in North Dakota's senior market. Directly competes for BCBSND's Medicare members and increasingly for employer group business.
• Elevance Health (Anthem): National BCBS licensee with extensive Individual, Medicare, and Employer offerings across multiple states. Competes with BCBSND through BlueCard network reciprocity and direct Marketplace participation.
• UnitedHealthcare: Largest US health insurer offering Individual, Medicare Advantage, and Employer plans nationwide including in North Dakota. Represents the dominant competitive threat on scale and pricing power.

Regional players

• Medica: Upper Midwest health plan serving Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin with Individual, Medicare, and Employer products. Direct competitor in overlapping geographies with comparable product mix.
• Sanford Health Plan: Provider-sponsored health plan affiliated with Sanford Health, with significant North Dakota and South Dakota membership. Directly competes with BCBSND in ND group and individual markets.

Direct peers

• Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Dakota: Wellmark BCBS serving South Dakota and Iowa. Comparable scale and not-for-profit structure with similar product portfolio in a neighboring rural state.
• Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska: Independent BCBS licensee operating in another rural Midwestern state with comparable scale, not-for-profit status, and full product portfolio across Individual, Medicare, Employer, and Medicaid segments.
• Blue Cross Blue Shield of Montana: Independent BCBS licensee serving Montana, a similarly small-population rural state. Comparable scale, not-for-profit structure, and product mix make it one of the closest peers in size and operating environment.
• Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota: Independent BCBS licensee serving Minnesota with a comparable product portfolio (Individual, Medicare, Employer, Medicaid) and similar not-for-profit structure. Most directly comparable as a neighboring Upper Midwest BCBS plan with overlapping provider networks.

Others

• Cambia Health Solutions: Strategic parent company of Regence BlueShield plans serving 3.6M members. Now affiliated with BCBSND, providing shared services and operational leverage; useful benchmark for parent-strategic capabilities BCBSND can access.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bcbsnd

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota