Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas and Community Partners Reach 6 Million Texas Children Through Health and Wellness Initiatives

Results Highlighted in Social Responsibility Report

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Apr 10, 2014, 01:55 ET

RICHARDSON, Texas, April 10, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- In 2013, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX) collaborated with community partners across the state to improve the health and wellness of more than 6 million children. According to the company's just-released social responsibility report, which can be found online at www.bcbstx2013srr.com, BCBSTX and local nonprofit organizations made significant progress reaching at-risk children by focusing community investments on nutrition, physical activity, disease prevention and management, and supporting safe environments. These four areas are the focus of the Healthy Kids, Healthy Families initiative.

"Thanks to the hard work of our community partners, we have been able to expand our efforts to help improve the health of the most vulnerable children and families in our local communities," said Michelle Riddell, Vice President of Community Investment for BCBSTX. "Our employees also played a pivotal role by volunteering nearly 17,000 hours to community organizations statewide that share our vision of helping Texas children and their families gain access to the resources they need to live healthy lives."

In just three years, with the help of more than 300 community partners, Healthy Kids, Healthy Families has far exceeded its initial goal of reaching one million children. Due to the success of the initiative, BCBSTX will expand the program making it a part of the company's ongoing commitment to support the health and wellness of the communities it serves.

Additional 2013 successes highlighted in the BCBSTX social responsibility report include:

Community Giving – $6.2 million in grants and sponsorships awarded to 360 Texas organizations.
Be Covered Texas - Partnered with more than 160 organizations to educate 2.44 million Texans on the basics of the Affordable Care Act.
The Care Van Program – 10 vans statewide delivered mobile health care to uninsured children and families, including nearly 85,000 free immunizations to children.
KaBOOM! – Built four new playgrounds in San Antonio, Waco, McAllen and Houston to promote youth health and wellness and give more than 1,600 children a safe place to play
More than 1,200 employees logged nearly 17,000 volunteer hours in their local communities.
Employees volunteered with 61 community partner organizations, earning them $62,600 in matching dollars. For each hour that a BCBSTX employee volunteers with a community partner, BCBSTX donates $20 per hour up to $2,000 annually per organization.

The newly released social responsibility report also highlights the company's efforts in the areas of diversity and inclusion, sustainability and compliance.

As in the previous year, the 2013 report was produced digitally, reducing environmental impact and enabling a more dynamic presentation of community partnerships through videos and social media integration. Readers can instantly share and comment on a specific page of the report.

About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX) – the only statewide, customer-owned health insurer in Texas – is the largest provider of health benefits in the state, working with nearly 80,000 physicians and 500 hospitals to serve 4.9 million members in all 254 counties. BCBSTX is a Division of Health Care Service Corporation (which operates Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans in Texas, Illinois, Montana, Oklahoma and New Mexico), the country's largest customer-owned health insurer and fourth largest health insurer overall. Health Care Service Corporation is a Mutual Legal Reserve Company and an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.
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