Health Care Service Corporation Highlights Record Employee Volunteerism Serving Local Communities

Volunteer Efforts Supported More than 1,400 Nonprofit Organizations across Five States

News provided by

Apr 27, 2017, 11:19 ET

CHICAGO, April 27, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC), the nation's largest customer-owned health insurer, reached a new record for employee volunteer hours in 2016, totaling 110,413 hours, a cash equivalent of $2,665,369 as measured by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.¹ The company's Social Responsibility Report (SRR), released this week, highlights this and other major initiatives that illustrate the company's commitment to improving health and wellness in the communities it serves through its Blue Cross and Blue Shield health plans in Illinois, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.

HCSC's Blue Corps^® employee volunteer program encourages the company's mission to support organizations and programs that make a meaningful impact in local communities. Through the Blue Corps Matching Dollars program, HCSC donates $20 for every volunteer hour spent with one of its health-related nonprofit community partners, doubling the impact of employees' volunteer time. In 2016, the company awarded $367,065 in Matching Dollars to 331 nonprofit organizations across HCSC's five states.

"As a customer-owned company with an 80-year legacy of standing with our members, giving and maintaining a culture of service are deeply important to who we are," said Joel Farran, HCSC senior vice president of strategy and corporate relations. "Our employees' efforts help us to strengthen our connections in local communities so we are better positioned to serve our members."

Since 2011, the company's Healthy Kids, Healthy Families^® initiative has invested in nonprofit organizations that offer sustainable, measurable programs in the areas of nutrition, physical activity, disease prevention and management and supporting safe environments. Through this initiative, HCSC invested nearly $7 million in 2016, helping more than 2.5 million children and 115 nonprofit partners such as the American Lung Association of the Upper Midwest and local food banks. In addition, our Care Vans^® provided access to free preventive services and screenings, serving more than 148,000 people, an increase of 34 percent compared to 2015.

Other highlights from this year's report include:

HCSC received a perfect score of 100 percent on the 2017 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), earning the designation as Best Place to Work for LGBT Equality by the Human Rights Campaign for corporate policies and practices related to LGBT workplace equality.
HCSC was recognized as a 2017 World's Most Ethical Company^® by the Ethisphere Institute for the second consecutive year by excelling in promoting ethical business standards and practices internally, enabling managers and employees to make good choices.
HCSC's Enhancing Care for Children with Asthma program was honored in 2016 with theU.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation Corporate Citizenship Award, which recognizes businesses for their significant positive impacts in communities around the world.

As in past years, the 2016 SRR report was produced digitally, reducing environmental impact and enabling a more dynamic presentation of community partnerships through visual storytelling. To learn more about our impact in local communities, please visit www.hcsc2016srr.com.

About Health Care Service Corporation
Health Care Service Corporation is the country's largest customer-owned health insurer and fourth-largest health insurer overall, with more than 15 million members in its Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans in Illinois, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. A Mutual Legal Reserve Company, HCSC is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. For more information, please visit HCSC.com, visit our Facebook page or follow us at www.twitter.com/HCSC.

HCSC's Community Investments
Health Care Service Corporation is committed to helping improve the health and wellbeing of the communities that we serve. For nearly 80 years, that commitment has been reflected through social responsibility efforts that include corporate giving, local community relations, volunteerism, diversity and inclusion, ethics and compliance, wellness and sustainability initiatives. As of 2016, our signature program, Healthy Kids, Healthy Families has provided more than 21 million health and wellness services to children and their families through support in the areas of nutrition, physical activity, disease prevention and management, and supporting safe environments. To learn more about HCSC's social responsibility efforts please visit www.hcsc2016srr.com.

¹ One hour of volunteering has a $24.14 cash equivalent, as calculated by Independent Sector from data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2016). https://www.independentsector.org/resource/the-value-of-volunteer-time/

SOURCE Health Care Service Corporation