Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City Launches New Microsite Promoting Healthy Lifestyles in Kansas City

Kansas City, MO June 13, 2012

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information contact:
Rachel Spear
Morningstar Communications
Phone: 913-660-9626
rspear@morningstarcomm.com

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City Launches New Microsite Promoting Healthy Lifestyles in Kansas City

Kansas City, MO--June 13, 2012 – Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City (Blue KC) has launched a new Health Promotions microsite, bewellkc.bluekc.com. The new site provides up-to-date information on Blue KC's Health Promotions' program initiatives and highlights helpful tips that Kansas City families can use to achieve their health-related goals.

A prominent feature of the Blue KC Health Promotions microsite is the Blue KC Healthy Family Survey^TM. Information from this survey will help Blue KC create meaningful programs for the community. Since survey information is important in program development, Blue KC is offering an incentive for families to complete the Healthy Family Survey^TM. Beginning in late June, Blue KC is teaming up with the Kansas City Royals and Sporting KC to provide a complimentary ticket to summer games for families who complete the survey on the new Health Promotions microsite. In addition to the game ticket, participants who take the survey will learn customized ways, based on their lifestyle, to help their families adopt healthier choices and ultimately improve family health and wellness.

"Blue KC is constantly thinking of ways to empower people to take charge of their health," said Dawnavan Davis, Ph.D., director of Health Promotions at Blue KC. "This site is another way to encourage and support our community's quest for healthier lifestyles." The site also includes Blue KC's Twitter feeds and links to all other Blue KC social media sites linking to up-to-date news in the health and wellness world. Additional features coming soon include news segment videos and Blue KC's healthy tips commercials.

The microsite was developed by Blue KC's Health Promotions department. The department was established to help combat childhood obesity and promote community health, which will help stabilize the rising costs of healthcare over the long term.

"At Blue KC, we believe knowledge and awareness are the first steps to behavioral change and improved health outcomes," said David Gentile, President and Chief Executive Officer of Blue KC. "As part of our strategy,Blue KC will serve as part of the solution by collaborating with community-based and health-focused organizations to provide tools like the microsite and programs like Healthy Families." Blue KC Health Promotions has established partnerships with several local organizations to promote sustainable lifestyle changes that improve individual, family and community health & wellness. To date, Health Promotions has launched partnership programs with the YMCA, Chiefs Sports Lab, Girls on the Run and Kansas City B Cycle.

About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City, the largest not-for-profit health insurer in Missouri and the only not-for-profit commercial health insurer in Kansas City, has been part of the Kansas City community since 1938. *Ranked by J.D. Power and Associates in 2012 as "Highest Member Satisfaction among Commercial Health Plans in the Heartland Region," Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City provides health coverage services to more than one million residents in the greater Kansas City area, including Johnson and Wyandotte counties in Kansas and 30 counties in Northwest Missouri. Our mission: to use our role as the area's leading health insurer to provide affordable access to health care and to improve the health and wellness of our members. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. For more information on the company, visit its website at BlueKC.com.

* Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City received the highest numerical score among commercial health plans in the Heartland region (Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska) in the proprietary J.D. Power and Associates 2012 U.S. Member Health Plan Study^SM. Study based on 32,868 total member responses, measuring nine plans in the Heartland Region (excludes Medicare and Medicaid). Proprietary study results are based on experiences and perceptions of members surveyed December 2011-January 2012. Your experiences may vary. Visit jdpower.com.

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