<P> Independence Blue Cross (Independence) is a health insurer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States . Independence is the largest health insurer in the Philadelphia area, serving more than two million people in the region and seven million nationwide . </P> <P> Employing more than 7,000 people, the company offers a wide variety of health plans, including managed care, traditional indemnity insurance, Medicare, and Medicaid . Its network of health care providers includes nearly 160 area hospitals and more than 42,000 physicians and other health care professionals . </P> <P> Independence is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association . </P> <P> Independence Blue Cross began in 1938 as the Associated Hospital Service of Philadelphia and offered the first prepaid hospitalization plan in the region . Philadelphia Mayor S. Davis Wilson enrolled as the first member, and Independence Hall became the first employer group to purchase coverage . </P>

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