Alberta Blue Cross
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1948
- HeadquartersEdmonton, Canada
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
Alberta Blue Cross firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Alberta Blue Cross
- Legal name
- ABC Benefits Corporation
- Website
- https://ab.bluecross.ca
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1948
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Alberta Blue Cross industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Health Insurance
- NAICS
- Health and Welfare Funds (52512), Health and Welfare Funds (525120), Health Care and Social Assistance (62), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412)
- SIC
- Hospital & Medical Service Plans (6324), Accident & Health Insurance (6321), Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411), Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro industry
- Healthcare-Linked Social Benefits Administration (e.g., Medicaid/Means-Tested Health Coverage)Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Social Security, Benefits & Welfare AdministrationDental Benefit Administration (DBA) & ASO/TPA for DentalDisability Services & Assistive Solutions (Accessibility, Assistive Tech)Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Social Enterprises & Impact OrganizationsFamily & Child Benefits Administration (Child Allowance, Parental Leave)Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Social Security, Benefits & Welfare Administration
Keywords
Where Alberta Blue Cross is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Edmonton
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Alberta Blue Cross business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Group Benefit Plan Premiums: Monthly or annual premiums paid by employers to provide health, dental, drug, vision, life, and disability benefits to employees. Plans can include Health Spending Accounts and Wellness Spending Accounts.
- Personal Health Plan Premiums: Individual and family health, dental, and prescription drug insurance plans with various coverage levels and optional add-ons.
- Travel Insurance Premiums: Single-trip and multi-trip travel insurance including Emergency Medical Care (starting at $30), Trip Cancellation and Interruption (starting at $60), Top-Up Insurance (starting at $25), and Visitors to Canada coverage (starting at $70).
- Life Insurance Premiums: Term Life and Whole Life insurance products underwritten by Blue Cross Life Insurance Company of Canada.
- Government-Sponsored Program Administration: Administration fees from Government of Alberta for administering Non-Group Coverage, Coverage for Seniors, Palliative Coverage, Optical Assistance for Seniors, and other programs. Also administers programs for Government of Northwest Territories.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Emergency Medical Care travel insurance - single-trip and multi-trip plans |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Trip Cancellation and Interruption - single-trip plans |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Top-Up Insurance |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Visitors to Canada |
| Subscription | Monthly | Blue Assured - Guaranteed acceptance personal plan |
| Subscription | Monthly | Blue Choice - Medically underwritten comprehensive plan |
| Subscription | Monthly | Young Adult plan - Ages 29 and under |
| Subscription | Monthly | Retiree plan - Ages 50 and above |
| Subscription | Monthly | Benefit Plus - Small business group plan (2-4 employees) |
| Subscription | Monthly | BlueFlex - Customized group plan (5+ employees) |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels8 records
Alberta Blue Cross product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Alberta Blue Cross, operated by ABC Benefits Corporation, is a not-for-profit health benefits provider founded in 1948 that sells health, dental, travel, and life insurance plans to individuals and businesses in Alberta. It also administers government-sponsored health benefit programs on behalf of the Alberta government, covering seniors, palliative care, and other public programs.
Product overview
Alberta Blue Cross offers a comprehensive portfolio of health, dental, travel, and life insurance products organized into personal plans, group benefit plans, travel insurance, and government-sponsored programs. Personal plans include Blue Choice® (medically underwritten for ages 64 and under), Blue Assured® (guaranteed acceptance for all ages), Young Adult plan (ages 29 and under), and Retiree plan (ages 50+). Group benefits are delivered through Benefit Plus® (small businesses, 2-4 employees) and BlueFlex® (customizable plans for 5+ employees). Travel insurance encompasses Emergency Medical Care, Trip Cancellation and Interruption, Visitors to Canada, and various add-on coverages. Life insurance is offered through Blue Cross Life® with Term and Whole Life options. Government programs administered include Non-Group Coverage, Coverage for Seniors, Palliative Coverage, and Optical/Dental Assistance for Seniors. Supporting wellness programs include Balance® (rewards), Blue Advantage® (discounts), and Second Opinion® (medical reviews). Virtual Care is delivered through TELUS Health partnership. The company also administers Northwest Territories health benefits programs.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Blue Advantage®: Discount program for health and wellness products and services offered by participating providers.
- Balance®
- BlueFlex®
- Benefit Plus®
- Blue Choice®
- Blue Assured®
- Blue Cross Life®
Products and services
- Blue Choice
Quantifiable outcome
- Nearly 98% of claims are direct billed by the provider at time of service
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Alberta Blue Cross
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Alberta Blue Cross technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature4 records
Alberta Blue Cross partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and minor.
- TELUS HealthcorePartnership for Virtual Care services integrated into all personal benefit plans at no extra cost. Provides 24/7 access to medical advice, mental health support, prescription refills, and referrals through telemedicine platform. Also partnership for exclusive TELUS Health Medical Alert Pendant promotion offering $60 off for plan members.
- Alberta InnovatesstrategicPartnership aimed at improving individual health and wellbeing by piloting personalized digital health care solutions with a portion of Alberta Blue Cross customers.
- PostmediaminorVitality Alberta: Work Well series - a 12-part editorial series exploring timely topics such as mental health, creating socially healthy workplaces, managing stress, reproductive health, and wellness for older employees and retirees.
- Government of AlbertacoreGovernment-sponsored program administration partnership. Alberta Blue Cross administers Non-Group Coverage, Coverage for Seniors, Palliative Coverage, Optical Assistance for Seniors, Dental Assistance for Seniors, Client Directed Home Care, Alberta Adult and Child Health Benefit programs on behalf of the Government of Alberta.
- Government of Northwest TerritoriescoreAlberta Blue Cross administers Métis Health Benefits Program, Extended Health Benefits for Seniors Program, and the new Extended Health Benefits Program on behalf of the Government of Northwest Territories.
- Blue Cross Life Insurance Company of CanadacoreUnderwriter for life, disability and travel insurance plans. Blue Cross Life provides the insurance products while Alberta Blue Cross handles distribution and administration.
- Healthcare Providers NetworkcoreExtensive network of pharmacies, dental offices, health providers, and hospitals that directly bill Alberta Blue Cross. Includes Claimstream® system for electronic claims submission. Nearly 98% of claims are direct billed through this network.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Alberta Blue Cross competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Pacific Blue Cross: Not-for-profit Blue Cross plan serving British Columbia with the same product mix (group benefits, personal health/dental plans, travel insurance, government program administration). Directly comparable as a sister Blue Cross plan with identical product architecture and not-for-profit model.
- Saskatchewan Blue Cross: Not-for-profit Blue Cross plan serving Saskatchewan with similar group benefits, individual health plans, and travel insurance offerings. Same Canadian Association of Blue Cross Plans affiliation, providing the closest like-for-like comparison in a smaller provincial market.
- Medavie Blue Cross: Not-for-profit Blue Cross plan serving Atlantic Canada (and federal public service and RCMP nationally). Operates the same product set as Alberta Blue Cross and is the largest non-government health and dental benefits administrator in the Atlantic region, with significant government program administration mandates.
- Manitoba Blue Cross: Not-for-profit Blue Cross plan serving Manitoba with overlapping personal, group, and travel insurance products. Sister plan within the Canadian Association of Blue Cross Plans with a similar go-to-market approach but smaller provincial scale.
- Green Shield Canada: Not-for-profit health and dental benefits provider offering group benefits, individual plans, and government program administration across Canada. Closest non-Blue Cross direct peer, sharing the non-profit orientation and benefits-administration focus but operating nationally rather than provincially.
Broad incumbents
- Sun Life Financial: One of Canada's largest life and health insurers, with significant group benefits and individual health/dental coverage competing directly against Alberta Blue Cross in the Alberta employer market. Much larger and for-profit, offering broader capabilities but lacking Alberta-specific government program administration.
- Manulife Financial: Major Canadian life and health insurer competing with Alberta Blue Cross for group benefits accounts in Alberta. National scale and diversified product portfolio position it as a broad incumbent alternative for Alberta employers evaluating carriers.
- Canada Life (Great-West Lifeco): Large national life and health insurer with significant group benefits presence across Canada, including Alberta. Competes for employer group accounts with multi-line bundling capabilities that Alberta Blue Cross cannot fully match.
- Desjardins Insurance: Quebec-based cooperative insurer with national group benefits capabilities, including Alberta operations. Competes with Alberta Blue Cross for employer-sponsored group benefits, particularly among Quebec-headquartered employers with Alberta workforces.
- Industrial Alliance (iA Financial Group): Canadian life and health insurer with growing group benefits and individual insurance operations. Competes in the Alberta employer group market with a broader financial services portfolio than Alberta Blue Cross.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Alberta Blue Cross social profiles
Digital presenceAlberta Blue Cross financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Alberta Blue Cross leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Alberta Blue Cross subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Alberta Blue Cross funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Alberta Blue Cross M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Alberta Blue Cross
What does Alberta Blue Cross do?
Alberta Blue Cross, operated by ABC Benefits Corporation, is a not-for-profit health benefits provider founded in 1948 that sells health, dental, travel, and life insurance plans to individuals and businesses in Alberta. It also administers government-sponsored health benefit programs on behalf of the Alberta government, covering seniors, palliative care, and other public programs.
Is Alberta Blue Cross a public or private company?
Alberta Blue Cross is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Alberta Blue Cross founded?
Alberta Blue Cross was founded in 1948. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Alberta Blue Cross based?
Alberta Blue Cross is headquartered in Edmonton, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Alberta Blue Cross make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Group Benefit Plan Premiums are the primary driver. The others are personal Health Plan Premiums, travel Insurance Premiums, life Insurance Premiums and government-Sponsored Program Administration.
Who are Alberta Blue Cross's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Pacific Blue Cross, Saskatchewan Blue Cross, Medavie Blue Cross, Manitoba Blue Cross and Green Shield Canada. Broad incumbents are Sun Life Financial, Manulife Financial, Canada Life (Great-West Lifeco), Desjardins Insurance and Industrial Alliance (iA Financial Group).
Does Alberta Blue Cross have an API?
No public API is recorded for Alberta Blue Cross.
What industry is Alberta Blue Cross in?
Alberta Blue Cross's product category is Health Insurance. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAIAKAH, Healthcare-Linked Social Benefits Administration (e.g., Medicaid/Means-Tested Health Coverage), with a secondary code of HLAEAIAJ, Dental Benefit Administration (DBA) & ASO/TPA for Dental. Its NAICS code is 52512 and its SIC code is 6324.