Montana Blue Cross/Blue Shield reports much higher ($22 Million) net income over last year

December 21, 2007

Montana Blue Cross/Blue Shield http://www.bcbsmt.com/ , the state’s largest health insurance company, reported $22 million in net income the first nine months of this year — more than eight times its income at the same point last year.

The big bulge in earnings comes on the heels of a year when Blue Cross increased health-insurance premiums for customers by an average of 13 percent.

But a spokeswoman for the company said Thursday the earnings bump doesn’t mean the nonprofit company is taking in more money than it should.

By MIKE DENNISON - IR State Bureau

Full Story: http://helenair.com/articles/2007/12/21/helena/a011221_04.txt