Provocative 'Uncovered' Statues Spotlight the Uninsured as Olympian Janet Evans and...

Provocative 'Uncovered' Statues Spotlight the Uninsured as Olympian Janet Evans and Blue Shield of California CEO Bruce Bodaken Encourage Californians to Take Action

LOS ANGELES--(Business Wire)--
"Uncovered" -- an exhibit featuring dozens of statues symbolizing
the millions of Californians who live without health insurance, will
be unveiled today in Los Angeles. This arresting display, sponsored by
Blue Shield of California, draws attention to the existence of the
state's 6.7 million uninsured, and provides a grassroots platform for
citizens to share their opinions with elected officials.

Former Olympic Gold Medal swimmer Janet Evans and Blue Shield CEO
Bruce Bodaken will kick off the event. The statues are part of Blue
Shield's grassroots "Uncovered" program, which includes public events
as well as Internet and educational outreach throughout the state that
help Californians share ideas and solutions to providing health
coverage for everyone.

The exhibit will premiere at Hollywood & Highland in the central
courtyard from 8:30-3:30 pm today with information on how people can
help raise awareness of the need for universal healthcare coverage.
Also onsite will be Blue Shield's "Chat Boxes," mobile videotaping
studios where, over the past two years, hundreds of Californians have
shared their thoughts on healthcare issues. The company also launched
a website today, www.letsshieldcalifornia.com, to enable people to
send emails to elected officials in support of legislation to make
health insurance coverage accessible and affordable to all
Californians.

"Seeing some of these statues depicting humans in vulnerable
positions might make people uncomfortable," said Bruce Bodaken, CEO,
Blue Shield of California. "It should. 800,000 children in California
go without health insurance. That should make us all very
uncomfortable. We've been vocal proponents of universal coverage since
2002 and, while debate is healthy and encouraged, we believe
Californians want action. We're helping to provide a platform for them
to communicate those feelings."

Many states have pursued health coverage in recent years.
Massachusetts passed universal coverage in 2006 and California
attempted to do so this year. With 47 million Americans and nearly 7
million Californians uninsured, Blue Shield of California wants to be
part of the solution and a catalyst for change.

Janet Evans, a five-time Olympic medalist, is a longtime health
and fitness advocate whose role as mother makes the lack of sufficient
healthcare for so many children especially close to her heart.

"The lack of adequate health coverage for so many of us, even
those with fairly high-paying jobs supporting young children, has been
an enormous problem that continues to grow and has devastating
consequences for us all," Evans said. "I'm thrilled to be a part of
something that encourages Californians to be a part of the solution.
Everyone deserves an opportunity to stay healthy."

California has the highest number of uninsured in the nation and,
with current state budget cuts, there could be one million more by
2010. Most uninsured patients are charged significantly more than
insured patients for hospital services and uninsured adults are less
likely to receive preventive care and more likely to be diagnosed with
a disease in its advanced stage.

"We have proposed a plan for universal coverage, as have others,"
Bodaken continued. "The exact details can be debated, but we all agree
that the current system can and should be better. Public officials
need to take action to achieve healthcare reform based on shared
responsibility, affordability, and quality."

As part of its not-for-profit mission, Blue Shield has long been a
leader in advocating health coverage for all Californians. In 2002,
Blue Shield CEO Bruce Bodaken--who recently spoke at the Democratic
National Convention 2008 Rocky Mountain Roundtable on Health, Wellness
and Prevention --became the first health plan chief executive in the
country to propose a specific plan for universal coverage. Since then,
Blue Shield has sponsored legislation, funded policy research, and
donated tens of millions of dollars annually to Blue Shield of
California Foundation - $136 million since 2002 - to meet immediate
community needs and to support comprehensive health reform. Blue
Shield has lobbied in favor of coverage expansion at the federal and
state level while working with individuals, employers, and public
officials to develop collaborative, practical solutions to America's
uninsured problem. The company is also dedicated to making health plan
coverage easier for consumers with improvements like simpler
explanations of benefits, customized online portals and instant
telephone access to customer service representatives.

About Blue Shield of California

Blue Shield of California, an independent member of the Blue
Shield Association, is a not-for-profit health plan dedicated to
providing Californians with access to high quality coverage at a
reasonable price. Founded in 1939, it now has 3.4 million members,
4,700 employees, and one of the largest provider networks in the
state. The company offers a wide range of commercial and government
health plan products throughout the state. For more information about
Blue Shield products and services, visit the website at
www.blueshieldca.com.

Bodaken is available for interviews on Sept. 5. Please contact
Melody Parrette, melody@lpicommunications.com, 858-361-9731 to
schedule.

LPI Communications for Blue Shield of California
Melody Parrette/Leasa Ireland
858-361-9731 or 310-796-1936
melody@lpicommunications.com

Copyright Business Wire 2008