Halloween Fears: Ghosts, Goblins and ... BlackBerry(R) Blur?

A New WellPoint Survey Looks at Vision Problems in the Office

INDIANAPOLIS, Oct. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Halloween can bring out children's fears
of monsters in the closet and ghosts beneath their bed. But what do grown-ups
fear?

A new WellPoint survey conducted by Opinion Research Corporation finds adults
too fear the things they can't see: difficult to read BlackBerry text and
fuzzy caller ID. And nevermind what could happen as a result.

Should their bosses be fearful too? Turns out they should. While one
American office worker out of ten worries about misreading information on a
phone or wireless device or even sending emails to the wrong person, the same
number admit to making these errors, which could lead to disaster.

"An employee's eyesight is vital to his or her performance and productivity,"
said Jeff Spahr, staff vice president of Vision Services for WellPoint.
"Whether it's eye strain caused by computer usage, or something much worse,
poor vision takes a toll on the employee and ultimately the work they do."

According to the Vision Council of America, vision disorders alone account for
more than $8 billion in lost productivity each year, and uncorrected vision
can decrease employee performance by as much as 20 percent. However, when an
employee gets their vision checked and corrected with vision exams and
corrective lens and/or procedures, employers stand to gain as much as $7 for
each dollar spent on vision coverage.

Employees tend to agree. According to the survey, a quarter of them feel that
having their eyes checked and corrected would improve their productivity. But
what keeps them from seeing the doctor? Concerns about costs top the list,
while one in ten cited lack of a company vision plan benefit.

"We want employers to know that cost shouldn't be what keeps them from
offering vision benefits to their employees," said Spahr. "Many employers
don't realize vision benefits are one of the lowest cost benefits available
and can even be offered at no cost to the employer."

The omnibus survey was conducted online among a census representative sample
of 1,000 Americans ages 18+ using the field services of Opinion Research
Corporation. This sample was then screened for whether or not respondents
worked in an office. Interviews for this survey were completed on October
15-16, 2009, at a 95% confidence level, meaning if the study was replicated,
results would be within 3.1 percentage points.

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.

Donna Page, +1-404-842-8105, donna.page@wellpoint.com