Regence Recognized as an American Heart Association Start! Fit-Friendly Company

Start! helps companies take steps to decrease health care expenses, increase
productivity

PORTLAND, Ore. Nov. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Regence BlueCross BlueShield has been
recognized as a Platinum-Level Start! Fit-Friendly Company by the American
Heart Association's Start! movement for helping employees eat better and move
more.

"Physical activity and employee wellness are important priorities at Regence,"
said Mark Ganz, Regence president and CEO. "We're committed to providing the
best workplace environment possible and helping our employees lead healthier
lives. We are honored and excited to be recognized by the American Heart
Association's Start! Movement."

Platinum-level employers:
-- Offer employees physical activity options in the workplace
-- Regence received additional AHA community innovation award one --
of
only eight nationally -- for outdoor boot camp exercise program to
teach exercise techniques to employees, friends and families
-- Increase healthy eating options at the worksite
-- Regence offers 35% discounts on healthy choices
-- Promote a wellness culture in the workplace
-- Holistic program reinforced by seasonal activities, messages,
emails, etc
-- Implement at least nine criteria outlined by the American Heart
Association in the areas of physical activity, nutrition and culture
-- Regence offers on-site gyms and gym discounts; on-site nutrition
programs like Weight Watchers and Kinetix
-- Demonstrate measurable outcomes related to workplace wellness

-- Return on investment of $1.59 includes fewer absences and slower
growth in medical claims for certain participants

The Start! Fit-Friendly Companies Program is a catalyst for positive change in
the American workforce by helping companies make their employees' health and
wellness a priority.

American employers face increasing healthcare expenses and health-related
losses in productivity that cost an estimated $225.8 billion a year. Many
American adults spend most of their waking hours at sedentary jobs. Their lack
of physical activity raises their risk for a host of medical problems, such as
obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes. Employers face $12.7 billion in
annual medical expenses due to obesity alone. Start! helps change corporate
cultures by motivating employees to start walking, which has the lowest
dropout rate of any physical activity.

Recognition is a critical component of the Start! Fit-Friendly Companies
Program. Employers that join this program qualify for official recognition by
the American Heart Association. They are listed on the program's national and
local websites, as well as recognition at the Start! Executive Leadership
Breakfast and the Start! Heart & Stroke Walk. Qualifying companies also have
the right to use the program's annual recognition seal for internal
communications and with external, recruitment-related communications.

Participating companies also get free access to program resources such as the
free Start! Walking Program, materials to help promote company wellness
programs to employees, internal newsletter templates and consultation on
CPR/AED (automated external defibrillator) programs.

Start! also offers MyStart! Online, a free Web-based fitness and nutrition
tracker for companies and individuals. A "dashboard" feature lets HR or
wellness managers view employee participation in Start!

"The Start! Fit-Friendly Companies Program offers a unique, easy-to-implement
opportunity for corporations to increase employees' physical activity, which
will help improve their health - and their employers' bottom line," said Erin
McDonough, Executive Director, Greater Portland American Heart Association.
"Even people who haven't exercised regularly until middle age can reap
significant benefits by starting a walking program. A study published in 1986
in the New England Journal of Medicine found that individuals could gain two
hours of life expectancy for every hour of regular, vigorous exercise they
performed."

Start! is sponsored locally by Oregon Health & Science University and
nationally by SUBWAY® Restaurants, Healthy Choice® and AstraZeneca. For more
information about the Start! Fit-Friendly Companies Program and how it is
helping to improve the health of Americans by focusing on an activity that is
convenient, free and easy, call 503-233-0100 or visit startpdx.org.

About Regence
Regence is the largest health insurer in the Northwest / Intermountain Region,
offering health, life and dental insurance. Regence serves more than 2.5
million members as Regence BlueShield of Idaho, Regence BlueCross BlueShield
of Oregon, Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah and Regence BlueShield
(selected counties in Washington). Each health 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
www.regence.com or follow us on Twitter.

About the American Heart Association
Founded in 1924, we're the nation's oldest and largest voluntary health
organization dedicated to building healthier lives, free of heart disease and
stroke. To help prevent, treat and defeat these diseases -- America's No. 1
and No. 3 killers -- we fund cutting-edge research, conduct lifesaving public
and professional educational programs, and advocate to protect public health.
To learn more or join us in helping all Americans, call 1-800-AHA-USA1 or
visit americanheart.org

SOURCE Regence

Joanna Burke of Regence, +1-503-225-6860, jcburke@regence.com