INDIANAPOLIS, Aug. 31 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- WellPoint, Inc. today announced that the WellPoint foundations will immediately contribute $500,000 to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund to support relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. The company has also organized an employee contribution effort in which the foundations will match 50% of contributions made by employees to the American Red Cross to assist in this critical time of need.
"It is very important to organize support for relief efforts as soon as possible, to ensure that relief agencies will have the resources they need to carry out the massive task at hand," said Larry C. Glasscock, president and chief executive officer of WellPoint, Inc. "As Americans come together to help bring relief and rebuild lives devastated by Hurricane Katrina, we hope that these efforts will be a source of encouragement to the thousands of our fellow citizens who have suffered overwhelming losses."
The contributions to the relief effort will come from WellPoint Foundation and the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation. Half of the contribution will be made directly to the American Red Cross while the other half will be made through a coordinated nationwide effort by the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association who is also working with the American Red Cross.
About WellPoint, Inc.
WellPoint, Inc. is the largest publicly traded commercial health benefits company in terms of membership in the United States. WellPoint, Inc. is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association and serves its 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, Ohio, Virginia (excluding the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C.), Wisconsin; and through HealthLink and UniCare. Additional information about WellPoint is available at http://www.wellpoint.com .
WellPoint, Inc.CONTACT: Investor Relations: Tami Durle, +1-317-488-6390, or Media: JamesP. Kappel, +1-317-488-6400, both of WellPoint, Inc.
Web site: http://www.wellpoint.com/
