Complete Care

From placing bilingual care coordinators in local laundromats to provide immediate support, to offering virtual primary care through the CloseKnit for same-day visits, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Community Health Plan Maryland (CareFirst CHPMD)—the fastest-growing Medicaid plan in Maryland—has reimagined access to healthcare. Our transformative initiatives are designed to meet members exactly when and where they need care.

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CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield has launched an interactive storefront at Junior Achievement Finance Park in Prince George's County. This community health initiative educates students on how their choices and societal factors impact their well-being.

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CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield has supported the CIAA Tournament since its Baltimore debut in 2022. In 2025, the tournament generated over 1,300 jobs and $32 million in local economic impact. CareFirst's involvement included nearly 100 volunteers and hosting the Health & Mental Wellness Summit, emphasizing the importance of community health partnerships and holistic health.

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CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield hosted a maternal health summit in April, bringing together healthcare providers, policy advocates and community leaders. The event focused on solutions to the maternal health crisis, featuring workshops, discussions and a $1.4 million investment in the Developing Families Maternal Health Fund to support local organizations.

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According to the National Council on Aging, healthcare spending on falls among adults 65 and older is expected to be more than $101 billion by 2030. The good news is, with thoughtful changes and education, it’s simple to prevent accidental falls.

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Our 2024 Annual Speak Up Report highlights the company's notable trends and statistics in 2023 regarding reporting, investigating and remediating issues. This report reflects our high standards for governance, compliance and ethical behavior, which remain fundamental to our core values and help us deliver on our mission to provide affordable, accessible and quality healthcare to everyone in our service area.

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Timely access to opioid reversal agents, such as Narcan or naloxone, can be the difference between life and death in an opioid overdose situation. Beginning January 1, 2025, opioid overdose reversal agents will be available to eligible members at no cost.

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The more connected we become in today’s digital world, taking steps to safeguard ourselves is more critical than ever. That’s why staying informed and taking proactive measures to keep potential threats from becoming real problems is essential—for all of us.

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CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield’s (CareFirst) mission is to advance affordable, accessible, equitable and quality healthcare for the people we serve, and every aspect of our mission addresses a key challenge people face when interacting with the healthcare ecosystem that can be supported through technology and innovation. Brian D. Pieninck, President and CEO of CareFirst, joined HIMSSCast, the Healthcare IT News Podcast, to discuss social drivers of health (SDOH) interventions and healthcare innovation’s role in addressing key challenges across the healthcare industry.

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In our ongoing commitment to creating a healthier and more sustainable future, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield has initiated several innovative programs that address the pressing environmental challenges of our time including emissions, food security, water access, housing stability and economic mobility.

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A drastically changing environment can have severe impacts on public health. CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield is proud to continue acting on sustainability and is taking intentional steps to address our organization’s environmental impact to drive long-term, positive impact for our communities.

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In an era where the intersections of health, environment and social equity are more critical than ever, the conversation around social drivers of health (SDOH) continues to be critical to addressing public health. CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield recognizes that health is not merely the absence of illness, but a holistic state influenced by various social and environmental factors.

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CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield and Children's National Hospital proudly hosted the first-ever Pediatric Mental Health Summit in Washington, D.C. to mark the beginning of a transformative partnership between our organizations. The event supports our ongoing work to support youth healthcare, specifically mental health, bringing together the resources from the payer and provider side to further innovate mental healthcare. Industry leaders came together in the District to discuss the youth mental health crisis, what is being done to address critical challenges in the mental health space and opportunities for future work.

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The need for behavioral health providers is great. But with new providers and technology helping meet demand, what factors undermine people's ability to get timely, high-quality care? CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Director of Behavioral Health Services Oleg Tarkovsky sat down with Jared Taylor, host of Slice of Healthcare's Titans of Healthcare podcast, to discuss this question and more.

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Mike Rapach, President and CEO of CareFirst Community Health Plan Maryland (CHPMD) joined Scene Health Co-Founder and CEO, Sebastian Seiguer to discuss a variety of topics, including CareFirst CHPMD’s partnership with Scene Health, the importance of medication adherence, the evolution of the Medicare and Medicaid landscape and more.

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Financial stress has a big impact on both your mental and physical health. Committed to offering services to support your whole health, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield (CareFirst) offers programs to support the financial well-being of our members along with their long-term health.

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Health equity means making certain that every person has the opportunity to achieve their optimum health. Unfortunately, many social and environmental factors can limit a person’s access to and continued use of good health practices and healthcare. Reducing, challenging or overcoming these obstacles requires adaptive changes and is a top priority for CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield. In an interview with WTOP News, Kimberly Harris, CareFirst’s Director of Community Health and Social Impact, discusses the investments CareFirst makes to uplift the disadvantaged and advance health equity.

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CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield (CareFirst) proudly serves as a partner and advocate for communities throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. We invest in solutions that can have a meaningful impact on the social drivers of health, or the social and environmental factors that impact overall health, to minimize health disparities, reduce healthcare costs and advance equity. We make these investments and partner with local organizations through the work of our Community Health and Social Impact team, in which Kimberly Harris serves as Director. CareFirst celebrates Kimberly as one of the Washington Business Journal’s 2024 Diversity in Business Award Honorees.

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As a not-for-profit healthcare organization serving Maryland, Washington, D.C. and Northern Virginia, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield (CareFirst) is committed to ensuring that healthcare is easy to afford and accessible to all. Our commitment extends beyond physical health to behavioral health—whole-person care. In an interview with WTOP News, Oleg Tarkovsky, the Director of Behavioral Health Services at CareFirst, explains that people with mental health or mental illness needs may run into roadblocks while seeking care.

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The connection between employee health and workplace productivity is more evident than ever, and it is crucial to recognize the significance of fostering a workplace culture that is inclusive of our health and prioritizes wellbeing on all fronts—physical, mental, behavioral, social, and financial.

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Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States for men, women, and people of most racial and ethnic groups. One person dies every 33 seconds in the U.S. from heart disease. In 2021, that accounted for 1 of every 5 deaths. Including healthcare services, medicines, and lost productivity, heart disease costs the U.S. nearly $240 billion annually. Its toll—both in terms of personal and financial costs—is truly staggering.

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In 2022, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield (CareFirst) remained the largest not-for-profit healthcare insurer in the mid-Atlantic region, employing nearly 5,800 full-time individuals and serving 3.6 million members in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.

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Through Healthworx and 1501 Health, we collaborate with organizations and entrepreneurs to address challenges in the healthcare industry or create new solutions to provide high-quality care. These organizations also explore innovative opportunities to bring solutions to CareFirst members to address their unique, diverse challenges.

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As the mid-Atlantic region’s largest not-for-profit health plan and a leading employer in the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area, CareFirst’s Week of Equity & Action is core to the organization’s mission to provide affordable, accessible and equitable healthcare for all. By dedicating time and resources to listening to one another and learning about different lived experiences, CareFirst and its employees can better act to meet the needs of the people and communities we serve.

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Through a new partnership with Baltimore-based company Scene Health, CareFirst Community Health Plan of Maryland members now have access to Spotlight, a digital medication support program that helps members with medication adherence. Scene Health is a Healthworx portfolio company and shares CareFirst’s vision of patient-centered care while encouraging individuals to take an active role in their health.

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As one of six federally qualified health care centers chosen for the grant, Mountain Laurel is leveraging their community health workers and reformulating the way they connect underserved or at-risk patients to dental care with the additional funding from CareFirst.

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CareFirst is working with findhelp to connect members, employees, and residents in Maryland, Washington, D.C., and parts of Northern Virginia—regardless of whether they are a CareFirst member—to free or reduced-cost social and health services.

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Djinge Lindsay, MD, MPH, Director of Public Health at CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield (CareFirst), spoke with WTOP News and discussed CareFirst’s public health infrastructure and efforts to address chronic illnesses and disparities in care through data and collaboration.

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Sharing certain information about yourself can help the healthcare industry to better understand and serve patients.

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The following article summarizes a message from CareFirst’s Chief Medical Officer, asking individuals to make a "promise of prevention," to safeguard their health and wellness.

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A conversation with Oleg Tarkovsky, Director of Behavioral Health Services at CareFirst, about creating a culture of wellness – at work and at home.

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Health equity means everyone has a fair and just chance to be as healthy as possible. For equity to exist, we must remove obstacles to health for all.

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According to the CDC, monkeypox spreads through close contact, including skin-to-skin and respiratory secretions through face-to-face interaction. The virus can also spread by touching objects, like infected clothing or bed sheets. Here’s what you need to know to protect yourself and others.

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CareFirst is committed to supporting health equity efforts at a national and local level. How are we seeking to understand the challenges our communities face, and working together to make a meaningful difference? CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Community Health Plan Maryland (CareFirst CHPMD) CEO, Mike Rapach, shares some insight into our efforts to advance health equity in Maryland.

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Taking care of the mouth is about more than having a nice smile. Your mouth reflects the overall health of your body. It can show signs of infection or disease before you experience other symptoms.

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CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield (CareFirst) champions the importance of transitioning to a value-based care system and is committed to bringing affordable, high-quality healthcare to all its members. That’s why we introduced the Blue High Performance Network^SM (BlueHPN^SM).

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Dr. Robert Sadowski, Pediatric Specialist and Medical Director for CareFirst BlueCross Blue Shield (CareFirst), recently discussed frequently asked questions parents, guardians and caregivers may have about COVID-19 vaccines for young children.

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CareFirst's Vice President of Community Health and Social Impact Dr. Destiny-Simone Ramjohn and Vice President and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Tich Changamire recently spoke with Health Leader's Media on the importance of addressing social determinants of health and how alternative data can be used to create solutions.

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Oleg Tarkovsky, Director of Behavioral Health Services, CareFirst, recently authored an article detailing the symptoms of depression and how to address changes in your mental health to bolster defenses.

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Oleg Tarkovsky, Director of Behavioral Health Services, CareFirst, recently spoke with WBAL TV for National Depression Awareness month to discuss the difference between clinical depression and simply feeling down or languishing.

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As COVID-19 continues making its presence known worldwide, politicians and public health officials are perplexed by the increased resistance to vaccine safety and efficacy. In searching for a reason to explain this resistance, psychology and, more specifically, cognitive biases research have a lot to offer.

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CareFirst's Executive Vice President of Health Services, Stacia A. Cohen, R.N., MBA, joined the panel during MedCity INVEST to discuss mental healthcare disparities and the pandemic's broader effect on mental health.

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Vickie Cosby, Senior Vice President, Medicaid and Medicare Programs, CareFirst and Cindy Nanasi, VP, Segment Integration, CareFirst, recently spoke with Oliver Wyman Health about CareFirst’s entry into Medicaid.

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World Congress recently hosted a panel discussion highlighting the importance of applying a phased approach to meet providers where they are at to accelerate success in value-based care arrangements.

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Most people who have prediabetes don’t even know they have it. The U.S. is experiencing a silent national epidemic.

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There has been a steep drop in the rate of pediatric vaccinations since the start of the pandemic. See how CareFirst is course-correcting this distressing development.

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