- Commitment includes hiring and providing stabilizing support to assist veterans in maintaining jobs -

INDIANAPOLIS -- (Business Wire)

WellPoint, Inc. (NYSE: WLP) announced today that it has joined Hero Health Hire, a coalition of companies and other entities in the health care industry that are united with the goal of employing wounded warriors and veterans. Launched in Washington, D.C., at a 2011 industry summit that included the U.S. Secretary of Labor, members of Congress, and representatives of a number of government agencies and the military, Hero Health Hire includes companies, associations and hospitals from across the spectrum of health care that collectively employ hundreds of thousands of employees. Each has committed to working to help veterans find and retain jobs in health care.

“WellPoint is proud to be joining this unique coalition of health care organizations dedicated to recruiting, hiring and supporting our nation’s veterans,” said Linda Jimenez, WellPoint’s chief diversity officer and vice president, diversity and inclusion. “Together, we can help these brave veterans and wounded warriors build their careers and thrive in the civilian workforce.”

Each month, tens of thousands of “Wounded Warriors” – brave men and women in our military who have been injured or become ill during service – transition out of the military, only to struggle in the civilian workforce. For many, they may be interviewing for a job or writing a resume for the first time, unsure of how military skills and experiences might translate or what accommodations may be needed for transition to a civilian workplace.

The health care industry – including insurers, health plans, pharmacy and specialty benefit management companies, healthcare transportation companies and hospital systems – is considered the fastest growing industry in our economy, requiring talented individuals to help meet multi-generational health care needs. The industry is also uniquely positioned to understand and support the unique needs of our nation’s veterans and the “wounded warriors” who return home to face physical and mental health challenges.

“We’re delighted to have WellPoint join the Hero Health Hire network,” said René Lerer, M.D., chairman and CEO of Magellan Health Services and a founding member of Hero Health Hire. “Over the past year, we’ve grown this initiative to include work sites in every state. We look forward to working with WellPoint to expand our footprint into even more communities across the country, providing greater opportunities for our nation’s heroes to find employment when they return home.”

Hero Health Hire unites the health care industry with government agencies and the military to understand and eliminate the barriers to employment facing wounded warriors, as well as developing ways to the support them in their transition. Since its inception, Hero Health Hire has recruited additional industry partners representing more than a half million employees with worksites in every U.S. state.

The Hero Health Hire partners will host the second annual summit in Washington, DC, in September, 2012. Hero Health Hire Chairman René Lerer, M.D., of Magellan Health Services, and the organization’s recently appointed Honorary Chairman Major General Elder Granger, M.D., US Army (ret), will host the half-day event designed to further unite some of the largest health care industry employers with U.S. Congress members, governors, and leaders from government agencies and military not-for-profits. With an ever-growing footprint and collaboration with key government and military agencies, Hero Health Hire is forming a robust network to offer the best opportunities and support for veterans seeking work in the health care industry.

About Hero Health Hire:

Hero Health Hire is a coalition of 30 health care industry leaders employing more than 750,000 Americans in all 50 states and who share the common goal of helping wounded warriors gain employment within health care organizations that are well-suited to their skills and will offer them opportunities for professional, financial and personal stability. For more information, including a complete listing of participants and details about the Employment Summit and upcoming events please visit www.HeroHealthHire.com

About WellPoint, Inc.:

At WellPoint, we believe there is an important connection between our members’ health and well-being—and the value we bring our customers and shareholders. So each day we work to improve the health of our members and their communities. And, we can make a real difference since we have nearly 34 million people in our branded health plans, and more than 62 million people served through our subsidiaries. As an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, WellPoint serves members as the Blue Cross licensee for California; the Blue Cross and Blue Shield licensee for Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri (excluding 30 counties in the Kansas City area), Nevada, New Hampshire, New York (as the Blue Cross Blue Shield licensee in 10 New York City metropolitan and surrounding counties and as the Blue Cross or Blue Cross Blue Shield licensee in selected upstate counties only), Ohio, Virginia (excluding the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C.), and Wisconsin. In a majority of these service areas, WellPoint’s plans do business as Anthem Blue Cross, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia and Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield, or Empire Blue Cross (in the New York service areas). WellPoint also serves customers throughout the country as UniCare and in certain California, Arizona and Nevada markets through our CareMore subsidiary. Additional information about WellPoint is available at www.wellpoint.com

For more information about WellPoint’s diversity and corporate responsibility efforts, see the company’s Corporate Responsibility Report.

Contacts:

Media Contact(s):
WellPoint:
Leslie Porras, (805) 557-6745
Leslie.porras@wellpoint.com
or
Hero Health Hire:
Christopher Pearsall, (860) 507-1923
CMPearsall@MagellanHealth.com

Source: WellPoint, Inc.