Regence BlueShield Awarded Contract to Cover Washington State Employees

SEATTLE, May 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Regence BlueShield has been chosen to serve Washington State public employees through the Uniform Medical Plan (the State's self insured PPO plan). Using a competitive bid process, the Washington State Health Care Authority awarded the contract to Regence for its commitment to partnering with the state and for the company's exceptional experience serving large member groups.

Regence will begin serving the UMP's more than 180,000 members with medical benefits effective January 1, 2011. Final, specific terms of the contract have yet to be finalized, but Regence leaders say state employees can expect the same high levels of personal commitment and service for which the company is known.

"We are pleased and honored that Washington State has chosen to award this contract to Regence. This outcome is a reflection on the caliber of our people and our commitment to providing a superior experience for our members," said Jonathan Hensley, president of Regence BlueShield. "We look forward to welcoming UMP members to Regence and to serving their health care needs."

"We looked carefully at a number of local and national carriers as part of the RFP process. Ultimately we chose Regence because of their commitment to partnering with us to maintain the strong relationships with our employees and their families," said Susan DeBlasio, RFP coordinator, Washington State Health Care Authority. "Their experience and operational readiness will help us transition from our current administrative services contractor while continuing the excellent customer service our members are accustomed to."

About Regence BlueShield

Regence BlueShield is a leading health plan in Washington with more than one million members, offering health, life and dental insurance. Regence is the largest health insurer in the Northwest / Intermountain Region, serving more than 2.5 million members as Regence BlueShield (selected counties in Washington), Regence BlueShield of Idaho, Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon and Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah. Each 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 www.twitter.com/RegenceWA.

SOURCE Regence