Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona Receives Prestigious Brand Excellence Award for Growth

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona (BCBSAZ) announced that it has received a Brand Excellence Award from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. The annual awards honor Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies that excel in developing and enhancing the overall Blue Cross and Blue Shield brand image.

"This marks the 15th year the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association has presented Brand Excellence Awards to Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies demonstrating exceptional performance in building the most recognized brands in the health insurance industry," said Scott P. Serota, Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association president and CEO. "We congratulate BCBSAZ for their leadership in strengthening the brands that collectively cover the lives of nearly 100 million Americans."

BCBSAZ was recognized with a Brand Excellence Award in the Enrollment Growth category for having a high percentage of new members enrolled over the past year among Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies. BCBSAZ experienced more than 5 percent enrollment growth in 2009.

"The Brand Excellence Award reflects BCBSAZ's commitment to providing superior service and products to its members, providers and community," said Rich Boals, president and CEO of BCBSAZ. "We accept this national award with high honor as it reinforces our customer satisfaction rate as we continue to build upon our solid customer base of 1.3 million."

The Brand Excellence Awards honor Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies nationwide in categories that represent Brand Excellence, including attraction of new customers, fostering loyalty to existing customers, expanding the brands into additional lines of products or services, and provider satisfaction.

This marks the fifth Brand Excellence Award for BCBSAZ. BCBSAZ was recognized for Member Retention in 2009. About Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona (BCBSAZ), an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, is the largest Arizona-based health insurance company. The not-for-profit company was founded in 1939 and provides health insurance products, services or networks to more than 1.3 million individuals. With offices in Phoenix, Flagstaff, Tempe and Tucson, the company employs more than 1,500 Arizonans. For information about BCBSAZ and its HealthyBlue program, an integrated program of tools, resources and services that can help Arizonans live a healthier lifestyle, visit www.azblue.com/HealthyBlue. About Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association is a national federation of 39 independent, community-based and locally operated Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies that collectively provide healthcare coverage for nearly 100 million individuals - one-in-three Americans. For more information on the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association and its member companies, please visit www.BCBS.com.