Federal CHAMPUS Program

1956 - Institutional Event

Health care coverage expanded for the U.S. military in 1956 with the launch of CHAMPUS, The Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services. CHAMPUS gave military families the option of receiving medical care from civilian providers. To administer the program, the government contracted with private insurance companies. North Carolina Blue Plans ran the program for thousands stationed at the state’s military bases.

CHAMPUS was recently revamped as a managed-care system and renamed TRICARE.

Photo courtesy of Duke University Medical Archives.

Information provided by BCBSNC.

Image of civlian providers giving military families medical care. Photo courtesy of Duke University Medical Archives.