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Press Release

Independence Blue Cross Wins Pillar Award For Community Service

Philadelphia, PA - November 28, 2005 - Independence Blue Cross (IBC) has received a 2005 Pillar Award from Chester County's Community Volunteers in Medicine in recognition of IBC's work to help control the rising cost of health care in the region by providing medical care to the uninsured and underinsured.

This semi-annual award, presented to 12 individuals and businesses in the Greater Philadelphia area November 10, pays tribute to those who give generous philanthropic gifts to Community Volunteers in Medicine (CVIM). CVIM offers primary medical and dental health care to the uninsured and underinsured working poor residents of Chester County.

IBC was inducted into CVIM's Pillar Society because of its Charitable Medical Care Grant Program, which has awarded more than $4.7 million over a three-year period to 25 non-profit clinics providing free or low-cost care to uninsured and underinsured residents. In 2004, IBC provided $300,000 over a three-year period to West Chester's Community Volunteers in Medicine health care clinic, which serves about 7,000 residents in the Chester County area each year.

Independence Blue Cross's Charitable Medical Care Grant Program helps keep thousands of uninsured and underinsured Philadelphia area residents healthy by providing access to good medical care, thus avoiding unnecessarily burdening emergency rooms. The program is a key part of IBC's effort to help control the rising cost of health care in the region by reducing incidents of uncompensated care.

"We're honored that Community Volunteers in Medicine recognized IBC's efforts to improve health care and lower health care costs in our community through the Charitable Medical Care Grant Program," said IBC President and Chief Executive Officer Joseph A. Frick. "By supporting non-profit medical clinics, we are not only helping many area residents get access to much-needed medical care, but we are also ultimately helping to control medical costs for everybody."

In addition to IBC, this year's Pillar Award recipients were Brandywine Hospital; Claneil Foundation, Inc.; Grateful CVIM Patients; Susan and Eric Eichler; Dr. and Mrs. Henry A. Jordan; Kane Stanek Associates; The Kirby Foundation; The Marshall Reynolds Foundation; Mr. and Mrs. Robert D. McNeil; Siemens Medical Solutions Health Services Corporation; and Paul and the Reverend Dr. Marcia Woodruff.

IBC is now one of 28 "pillars" in CVIM's Pillar Society, which includes Chester County Hospital, the Pennsylvania Department of Health, the Davenport Family Foundation, and the United Way of Chester County. Pillar members are selected from donors who have a cumulative giving of at least $100,000. This year is CVIM's third Pillar Event.

About Community Volunteers in Medicine
For more than seven years, Community Volunteers in Medicine, located in West Chester, Pennsylvania, has offered primary care medical and dental services to uninsured and underinsured working poor residents of Chester County. Their goal is to provide a health care home for these individuals and their families so that they can work and be productive members of the community.

About Independence Blue Cross
Independence Blue Cross is the leading health insurer in Southeastern Pennsylvania. Nationwide, IBC and its affiliates provide coverage to nearly 3.4 million people. For more than 65 years, Independence Blue Cross has offered quality health care products and services tailored to meet the changing needs of members, employers, groups and providers.

This year, Independence Blue Cross's Personal Choice was rated the No. 1 PPO in the nation and its Keystone HMO was ranked the No. 1 HMO in the region by health care consumers in a leading independent consumer magazine.