CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Among ‘World’s Most Ethical Companies’ For Sixth Consecutive Year

BALTIMORE, Maryland, Feb. 12 -- CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield issued the following news release:

CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield (CareFirst), the mid-Atlantic region's largest health insurer, has been named by the Ethisphere Institute as one of the "World's Most Ethical Companies" in 2018. This year's honor marks the sixth consecutive year CareFirst has been recognized for its commitment to leading ethical business standards and practices.

CareFirst is one of just five companies representing the health insurance industry and one of only 11 nonprofit companies on the list of 135 organizations spanning 24 countries and 57 industries. CareFirst was recognized for its corporate culture, business integrity and industry leadership in accountability, transparency and corporate social responsibility.

"We are again extremely pleased to be part of such a prestigious group of international organizations that share the same commitment to ethical behavior and corporate governance," said CareFirst President and CEO Chet Burrell. "To be recognized as one of the 'World's Most Ethical Companies' for six consecutive years is a high honor reflecting our belief that the best way to fulfill our mission of expanding access to affordable health care is to act ethically and with integrity from top to bottom."

This year marks the 12th time Ethisphere, an organization that identifies and promotes leading ethical business practices, has honored companies that recognize their role in society to influence and drive positive change, and use their values and culture as an underpinning to the decisions they make every day.

"Companies recognized by Ethisphere in 2018 had record levels of involvement with their stakeholders and in their communities," said Ethisphere CEO Timothy Erblich. "Measuring and improving culture, leading authentically, and committing to transparency, diversity and inclusion were all priorities."

In compiling this year's list, Ethisphere scored nominees in five key categories, including:

* Ethics and compliance program;

* Corporate citizenship and responsibility;

* Culture of ethics;

* Governance; and,

* Leadership, innovation and reputation.

"We are honored to again be included on this list that recognizes our enthusiasm for conducting business with the highest level of integrity," said Todd Cioni, CareFirst Vice President and Chief Compliance, Ethics and Privacy Officer. "This award highlights our dedication to a strong ethical culture supported daily by our associates."

The full list of the 2018 "World's Most Ethical Companies" can be found at http://worldsmostethicalcompanies.ethisphere.com/honorees/.

About CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield

In its 80th year of service, CareFirst, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, is a not-for-profit health care company which, through its affiliates and subsidiaries, offers a comprehensive portfolio of health insurance products and administrative services to 3.2 million individuals and groups in Maryland, the District of Columbia and Northern Virginia. In 2016, CareFirst invested nearly $44 million to improve overall health, and increase the accessibility, affordability, safety and quality of health care throughout its market areas. To learn more about CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, visit our website at www.carefirst.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram or Google+.

About Ethisphere

The Ethisphere(R) Institute is the global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices that fuel corporate character, marketplace trust and business success. Ethisphere has deep expertise in measuring and defining core ethics standards using data-driven insights that help companies enhance corporate character. Ethisphere honors superior achievement through its World's Most Ethical Companies recognition program and provides a community of industry experts with the Business Ethics Leadership Alliance (BELA). More information about Ethisphere can be found at: http://ethisphere.com.