Blue Distinction® Centers

What is a Blue Distinction Center?

Blue Distinction Specialty Care, our centers of excellence program, makes it easy for you to choose health care providers who have a proven history of delivering higher-quality specialized care and better overall patient results. These facilities are recognized for delivering exceptional care that meet the strict, pre-determined quality standards developed by medical experts and providers to earn a Blue Distinction Center designation.

This national evaluation criteria allows us to give you full access to facilities that have shown fewer complications, lower readmissions and higher survival rates — potentially getting you back to your normal daily life sooner. You can expect higher quality care from Blue Distinction Centers:

Blue Distinction Centers (BDC) met overall quality measures for patient safety and outcomes, developed with input from the medical community. A Local Blue Plan may require additional criteria for providers located in its own service area; for details, contact your Local Blue Plan. Blue Distinction Centers+ (BDC+) also met cost measures that address consumers' need for affordable healthcare. Each provider's cost of care is evaluated using data from its Local Blue Plan. Providers in CA, ID, NY, PA, and WA may lie in two Local Blue Plans' areas, resulting in two evaluations for cost of care; and their own Local Blue Plans decide whether one or both cost of care evaluation(s) must meet BDC+ national criteria. National criteria for BDC and BDC+ are displayed on www.bcbs.com. Individual outcomes may vary. For details on a provider's in-network status or your own policy's coverage, contact your Local Blue Plan and ask your provider before making an appointment. Neither Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association nor any Blue Plans are responsible for non-covered charges or other losses or damages resulting from Blue Distinction or other provider finder information or care received from Blue Distinction or other providers.