Hemingway Hall Named CEO of Health Care Service Corporation

CHICAGO, Nov. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC), which operates the Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans in Illinois, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas, today announced that its board of directors has elected Pat Hemingway Hall as the company's new chief executive officer, effective Nov. 1, 2008.

Hemingway Hall, who has served as HCSC's president and chief operating officer since November 2007, will succeed Raymond F. McCaskey, who is retiring from HCSC after 32 years of service, including more than 15 years as chief executive officer. McCaskey will remain on the HCSC board of directors.

"Because of our size, strength and customer-owned orientation, Health Care Service Corporation is uniquely positioned to address the major health care challenges facing the country today -- expanding access, improving outcomes and lowering costs," said Hemingway Hall. "This is an exciting time in our industry, and I look forward to leading HCSC's efforts to work with physicians, hospitals, employers and the government to develop solutions that help our members and improve the health care system."

Prior to her election in 2007 as president and COO, Hemingway Hall served as executive vice president of internal operations for HCSC from 2006 to 2007, and as president of the company's Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas plan from 2001 to 2006. She is a member of the boards of directors for the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, America's Health Insurance Plans, Blue Health Intelligence, MEDecision and TriServ LLC. She received a master's degree in public health, health planning and administration from the University of Michigan and a bachelor's degree in nursing from Michigan State University.

McCaskey came to HCSC as an assistant vice president and actuary in 1976. He worked his way up through the finance division until becoming president and COO in 1991, and president and CEO in 1993.

Health Care Service Corporation, a Mutual Legal Reserve Company, is the largest customer-owned health insurer in the United States and the fourth largest health insurer in the country overall, with 12.4 million members in its Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans in Illinois, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. HCSC has a rating of AA- (Very Strong) from Standard and Poor's, Aa3 (Excellent) from Moody's and A+ (Superior) from A.M. Best Co. HCSC is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. For more information, please visit http://www.HCSC.com.

SOURCE Health Care Service Corporation

CONTACT: Mark Lane, +1-972-766-1738, [email protected], or Robert Kieckhefer, +1-312-653-6629, [email protected], both of Health Care Service Corporation