Regence Names Jared Short as Market President of Regence BlueCross BlueShield of...

Regence Names Jared Short as Market President of Regence BlueCross BlueShield
of Oregon

PORTLAND, Ore., June 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Regence, the largest not-for-profit
insurer in the Northwest/Intermountain Region, has named Jared Short as
President of Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon. Short's appointment is
effective July 20, 2009.

"We are extremely pleased to welcome Jared back to the Regence family," said
Mark Ganz, President and CEO of Regence. "He brings an unparalleled set of
skills that will serve our members, our employer groups and our employees
particularly well. Jared's deep understanding of how the health care system
works from a variety of perspectives makes him especially well-suited to serve
in this role."

Short is recognized as an established leader in the health care field with
proven strengths in consumer directed health care, sales, marketing, research
and finance. During his previous tenure at Regence, Short provided critical
leadership in the development of innovative programs designed to provide cost
and quality information directly to Regence members, and to foster a community
of health and wellness. At the time, this concept was relatively unknown in
the industry and remains a cornerstone of Regence's efforts to increase
transparency in the system. He returns to Regence from BlueCross BlueShield
of Montana, where he was the Chief Marketing and Underwriting Officer.

"It's good to be home - both in the Pacific Northwest and at Regence," Short
said. "Having grown up in Vancouver and lived for many years in Salem, I
understand the urgent need for health care reform here in Oregon and across
the nation. At this critical juncture, I look forward to collaborating
closely with policymakers, providers, business and industry leaders to
transform the system to ensure it serves our members and the entire community
as it should."

Short returns to the Portland area with his wife, Michelle, and their three
children.

About Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon
Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon is a leading health plan in Oregon,
with nearly one million members, offering health, life and dental insurance.
Regence is the largest health insurer in the Northwest / Intermountain Region,
serving nearly three million members as Regence BlueCross BlueShield of
Oregon, Regence BlueShield (selected counties in Washington), Regence
BlueCross BlueShield of Utah and Regence BlueShield of Idaho. Each plan is a
nonprofit independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.
Regence is committed to improving the health of our members and our
communities, and to transforming our health care system. For more information,
please visit regence.com.

SOURCE Regence

Angela Hult of Regence, +1-503-412-7902, cell, +1-503-250-1026,
aehult@regence.com