The Johns Hopkins Health Plan

Illustration of a boy (resembling Bart Simpson) holding a sling shot and a green balloon on a white background.  Next to the boy is a square thought bubble with black text.  

Created during the peak of Bartmania and the popular Fox cartoon The Simpsons in the 1990s, this Johns Hopkins Health Plan button features Bart Simpson’s look and attitude to promote memberships. Bart is depicted holding a balloon with a domed building, symbolizing Hopkins’ renowned hospital dome. A speech bubble proclaims—in a playful, slightly irreverent tone—reflects early Bart merchandise and the many unofficial “Bootleg Bart” items produced by small businesses without licensing. With Hopkins promoting managed care in the early ’90s, this button was probably distributed at clinics, benefits fairs, or workplace enrollment events. Due to Fox’s swift licensing crackdowns, such items were typically limited in scale and locally produced—one reason they are less commonly seen than generic corporate promotional buttons.

Hopkins established its Health System in 1986 and by the early 1990s was managing various managed-care plans, including what is now known as the US Family Health Plan in the Mid-Atlantic region. The US Family Health Plan (USFHP or the Plan) is a managed care initiative created by the Department of Defense. As authorized TRICARE Prime providers under a DoD agreement, the Plan delivers comprehensive healthcare benefits to members of the seven uniformed services, which include active-duty family members, retirees and their families, as well as survivors.