Health Care Service Corporation’s 2017 Social Responsibility Report Demonstrates Commitment to Members and Communities in Action

PR Newswire

CHICAGO, April 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- In its 2017 Social Responsibility Report released today, Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC), the nation's largest customer-owned health insurer, highlighted the work of its employees to make a positive impact in the lives of members and their communities and maintain a strong, caring, inclusive and ethical culture of excellence.

Health Care Service Corporation. (PRNewsFoto/Health Care Service Corporation)

"We live our values every workday as a partner in the health and well-being of our members," said Joel Farran, senior vice president and chief brand officer, HCSC. "We also live those values beyond our jobs. Whether it's building a playground to encourage healthy activities for families, packing relief supplies for those recovering from a national disaster or providing access to much-needed health services, our employees show up. Being part of our communities isn't just what we do, it's what we love to do."

In March 2018, the company announced plans to build on its efforts to support healthier communities through Affordability Cures^SM, a $1.5 billion endeavor over the next three years to help reduce health care costs for its members and enable more Americans to be able to purchase insurance. Efforts will include identifying and supporting initiatives beyond traditional care settings to address and tackle determinants of health.

"We recognize that despite our efforts, health insurance is still unattainable for many in our communities," said Farran. "We need to build on our history of protecting individuals and helping them to be their best."

The company's ability to make a positive impact in the lives of its members and local communities is driven by its employees' dedication to serve. Commemorating the 10-year anniversary of Blue Corps^SM, its employee volunteer program, HCSC also aspires to double its employee volunteer efforts from 500,000 hours to 1 million by 2021. In 2017, employees across HCSC's five states continued to generously give their time and talent by volunteering more than 117,000 hours. Activities such as serving as mentors for Big Brothers Big Sisters, participating in food drives and volunteering with a variety of nonprofits resulted in matching donations to nearly 400 community organizations.

One of the key vehicles to mobilize Blue Corps employee outreach is the company's Healthy Kids Healthy Families® initiative, which aims to help improve the health and well-being of children and families through hundreds of local nonprofit collaborations. Highlights from 2017 included:

positively impacting more than 1.2 million children through improved food security, increased physical activity, enhanced disease prevention and management and promotion of safe environments;
donating $2 million dollars and delivering more than 10,000 supplies to support disaster relief efforts in the Gulf Coast and Houston area following Hurricane Harvey; and
providing more than 200,000 children annually, including more than 20,000 children in 2017, with creative playspaces in collaboration with KaBOOM!,® a national nonprofit dedicated to saving play for America's children. HCSC recently celebrated its 100^th KaBOOM! playspace, providing children with safe places that engage their imaginations and encourage heart-healthy exercise.

Through Healthy Kids Healthy Families, HCSC is also taking new approaches to managing chronic disease. In 2017:

The company launched a pilot program with eight federally-qualified health centers in Illinois and Texas to increase diabetic retinopathy screenings. HCSC donated handheld digital cameras to the health centers, supporting 800 screenings.
HCSC worked with the American Lung Association to expand the Enhancing Care for Children with Asthma project to raise awareness for the early prevention and detection of chronic pulmonary obstruction disease. The two organizations also collaborated on disaster relief efforts, including distributing air filters to schools in Montana that were affected by the wildfires and educating families in Texas that were affected by Hurricane Harvey on the increased respiratory risks of excessive exposure to mold. In 2017, the Environmental Protection Agency awarded HCSC with the National Environmental Leadership Award in Asthma Management.

HCSC's commitment to serve its more than 15 million members across five states extends beyond community engagement to its dedication to maintain diverse contributions among employees, leadership and suppliers. The company has forged long-term relationships with suppliers including the National Minority Supplier Development Council, Women's Business Enterprise National Council and the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce. Inclusion is at the very core of HCSC's ability to serve its members – enabling the company to develop better ideas, respond to members' needs and ensure that employees can be at their best.

Currently, 61 percent of management positions are held by women, and 30 percent of executives are represented by people of color. For these efforts, among many others, HCSC was honored to receive the following recognitions in 2017:

Ranked #2 on DiversityMBA 50 Out Front List
Human Rights Campaign Foundation's Best Places to Work for LGBT Equality

Also in recognition of HCSC's commitment to measuring and improving culture, community engagement, transparency, diversity and inclusion, the company was honored for the second and third consecutive year respectively by the Ethisphere Institute as a World's Most Ethical Company® and the Civic 50 as one of the country's most community-minded companies.

To learn more about how HCSC puts its commitment to its communities, members and employees into action, view its full 2017 Social Responsibility report here http://hcsc2017srr.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. HCSC has a rating of A+ (Strong) from Standard and Poor's, A1 (Good) from Moody's and A (Excellent) from A.M. Best Company. For more information, please visit HCSC.com, visit our Facebook page or follow us at https://twitter.com/.