WellPoint, Inc. Receives 2010 Diversity Leader Award(R)

INDIANAPOLIS, Jan. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- WellPoint, Inc. (NYSE: WLP) is pleased to announce it has received a "2010 Diversity Leader Award®" in the January/February issue of Profiles in Diversity Journal for demonstrating outstanding diversity communication practices during the past year.

WellPoint continues to be recognized among the nation's leaders in diversity and inclusion practices and has received multiple honors in recent years including recognition as a Top 50 Company for Diversity by DiversityInc; a Top Company for Executive Women by the National Association of Executive Women; a Top 50 Company for Latinas according to LATINA Style Magazine; Innovation in Multicultural Health Care Award by NCQA; a Top 50 Employer by Equal Opportunity Publications, CAREERS and disABLED Magazine; Best Company for Blacks in Technology by Black Data Processing Associates & WorkplaceDiversity.com; and WellPoint CEO Angela Braly was the recipient of the 2009 CEO Diversity Leadership Award.  

"We are pleased and proud to be recognized by Profiles in Diversity Journal as one of the recipients of the 2010 Diversity Leader Award®," said Linda Jimenez, Chief Diversity Officer and vice president, Diversity & Inclusion, WellPoint, Inc.  "WellPoint continues to innovate and implement diversity and inclusion policies that expand opportunities for our associates and allow WellPoint to more effectively conduct business and communicate with members in our affiliated health plans.  One way we are able to develop unique diversity approaches and practices is by engaging our associates in the process and relying on their insights and input.  WellPoint is grateful for the award and we will continue to strive to improve diversity and inclusion at WellPoint, as well as among the businesses with whom we collaborate."

WellPoint's unique approaches, including its Associate Resource Groups (ARGs) and its diversity ambassador program, are part of the reason for its continued national recognition in diversity.  WellPoint's ARGs are voluntary, associate-driven groups open to all WellPoint associates. These groups center around one of the many dimensions of diversity -- most commonly race, gender, cultural background, disabilities, sexual orientation and generation.  ARGs are considered a key initiative to attract, retain and develop diverse talent; build a culture of inclusion; leverage internal diversity expertise; enhance customer connections, and provide leadership development opportunities for associates.  

WellPoint also has more than 250 associates who are diversity and workplace culture ambassadors from different business units and job levels that reflect the diversity of the associate population.  Ambassadors act as frontline advocates and role models of WellPoint's values and commitment to diversity and inclusion.  These, along with many other diversity and inclusion initiatives allow WellPoint to continue being on the forefront of organizational inclusion and diversity policies.    

Now in its 12th year, Profiles in Diversity Journal is a bi-monthly magazine focusing on diversity/inclusion in business, government, healthcare, non-profit, higher education and military settings. The focus of the Journal is on senior leadership, best practices, benchmarking, workforce diversity strategies, recognition of employee contribution, and features about what makes organizations great.

About WellPoint, Inc.

WellPoint works to simplify the connection between Health, Care and Value. We help to improve the health of our communities, deliver better care to members, and provide greater value to our customers and shareholders. WellPoint is the nation's largest health benefits company, with more than 34 million members in its affiliated health plans. As an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, WellPoint serves members as the Blue Cross licensee for California; the Blue Cross and Blue Shield licensee for Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri (excluding 30 counties in the Kansas City area), Nevada, New Hampshire, New York (as the Blue Cross Blue Shield licensee in 10 New York City metropolitan and surrounding counties and as the Blue Cross or Blue Cross Blue Shield licensee in selected upstate counties only), Ohio, Virginia (excluding the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C.), Wisconsin; and  through UniCare. Additional information about WellPoint is available at www.wellpoint.com.

SOURCE WellPoint, Inc.