Final answer:
Blue Cross Blue Shield influences political government by engaging in advocacy and lobbying efforts to shape health care legislation and policies, contributing to a political action committee, and participating in discussions about the federal government's role in healthcare services.
Step-by-step explanation:
Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS), through its various entities like Blue Shield of California, can exert influence on the political government in several ways. As a major healthcare insurer, they are involved in federal policy and advocacy efforts. These efforts are aimed at shaping legislation and regulatory actions that affect healthcare coverage and the insurance industry. Employees can contribute to a political action committee (PAC), which provides the company with a means to attend events and engage with lawmakers. While contributions do not guarantee a legislator's vote, they do allow opportunities for the company to present its perspective on health-related issues.
Through lobbying efforts, such entities work to influence both the legislative and the executive branches, including Congress and agencies like the Department of Health and Human Services. The company's representatives may lobby for affordable healthcare, accessibility, and legislative changes that could lead to universal coverage. Their advocacy efforts are often tied to mitigating issues like moral hazard and adverse selection in the health insurance market. And with significant healthcare legislation, like the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare), insurance companies like Blue Cross Blue Shield play a role in influencing how these laws are implemented and adjusted over time.
In the context of Blue Shield of California, their work resonates with the broader debates over the federal government's role in health care services, including the requirement for health insurance as mandated by government-backed exchanges. Thus, BCBS's influence is part of a larger conversation about healthcare policy, financing, and the balance of private and public involvement in the health insurance market.