Blue KC’s Plans to Affiliate with Highmark Inc. Receives Regulatory Approval

Highmark Inc. and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City will close its deal to affiliate on March 31. FILE PHOTO.

Posted March 25, 2026

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City announced it has received regulatory approval to affiliate with Highmark Inc., based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

The two companies received regulatory approval to affiliate from the Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance, with the closing date set to March 31. Blue KC announced its plans to affiliate with Highmark Inc. in December, aiming to improve health outcomes for its members across the Kansas City region.

“By bringing our two health plans together, we are strengthening our ability to serve our members, health care providers and employees in our region,” Jenny Housley, president of Blue KC, said in a release. “We thank the Director of the Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance and her team for their review of the application and support of the affiliation. We look forward to continued innovation and service for our local community.”

Housley was announced to be the next CEO of Blue KC and will succeed Erin Stucky, who plans to retire by the end of 2026.

As part of the affiliation, Blue KC will be a locally governed, nonprofit company in Kansas City and gain access to new technology, capabilities and resources. Blue KC also plans to maintain its local leadership.

Blue KC and Highmark, along with their health plan affiliates, will serve nearly eight million members nationwide. Highmark is now the third-largest overall Blue Cross Blue Shield-affiliated organization in the country.

Highmark Inc., which employs 44,000 people, and its subsidiaries and affiliates provide health insurance to members in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Delaware, and New York. Hallmark Health’s Allegheny Health Network is located in western Pennsylvania, composed of 14 hospitals and more than 2,500 physicians.