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At Anthem, our mission is to improve the health of the people we serve. We’re also dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for people in the communities where we live and work. We recognize that as one of America’s leading health benefits companies, we also have a special obligation to
provide leadership to address the challenging issue of the uninsured. In 2003, this leadership was expressed in a wide variety of ways, some of them traditional and some highly innovative.
Thousands of workers and retirees were able to maintain health benefits for themselves and their families as a result of quick action and collaboration between Anthem and the Departments of Insurance in Indiana, Ohio, Maine and Virginia. Anthem created health plans in each state that would qualify for a new federal subsidy that helps workers displaced by foreign competition and retirees hurt by failed or under-funded pension plans purchase affordable health benefits.
Through the Anthem Foundation and corporate giving programs, Anthem made contributions and commitments of $10.6 million. And, as they do each year, Anthem associates provided thousands of hours of volunteer service to hundreds of charitable and non-profit organizations across the country.
We expanded our work with free clinics to Ohio and Indiana this year. In our corporate
headquarters city, Indianapolis, we formed a unique partnership that is helping a group of free
clinics provide better care to under- and uninsured residents. During the past decade, Anthem’s
support of free clinics has provided more than $25 million in medical services to low-income families and individuals in Virginia. |
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Childhood obesity has become a national epidemic
at the same time schools have had to cut budgets for health and fitness programs. To get kids moving, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield is sponsoring walking programs, including the Kids’ Walking Challenge in Colorado. We awarded $1,000 grants
to six elementary schools that promote physical
fitness…and guarantee that students collectively
walk 100 miles.
At Acres Green Elementary School in Littleton,
physical education teacher Warren Dennis organized 600 students to walk at least one-half mile in one day. “We strongly promote fitness,” Dennis says. “But with limited funding, we can’t do it alone...we need a lot more help. To get this kind of help from a company like Anthem is just awesome.” |
 A unique collaboration is helping improve the use of technology at four Indianapolis neighborhood clinics so that they can provide more and better care to
low-income men, women and children.
The program is made possible through a grant from the Anthem Foundation, combined with the time
and talents of more than two dozen associates from Anthem’s IT department, who volunteered to work with clinic staff and a local non-profit technology organization.
“One of our goals is to be able to share information among clinics and collect data the same way so that we can compete for more grants and better serve our patients,” said Rebecca Seifert, executive director of Gennesaret free clinic. “With Anthem’s grant and
volunteer efforts, we have been able to assess our needs and can now focus on putting our plans into place. This couldn’t have come at a better time.” |
Our Colorado associates acted quickly when influenza struck the state. Eleven children had died, nearly 10,000 Coloradans were suffering from the flu, and there was a severe shortage of flu vaccine. Anthem quickly provided funding to allow the state’s health department to purchase 6,000 additional doses of vaccine.
Vaccinations and health screenings remained an important part of our community outreach. In Kentucky, Anthem supported a flu shot awareness program that significantly increased the number of area residents who received free immunizations. Our ongoing support of the Central Ohio Diabetes Association has helped screen more than 17,000 residents for diabetes. These efforts have targeted high-risk populations, including African-Americans, Hispanics, Asians and Somalians.
Recognizing the importance of diversity in our communities, Anthem is sponsoring the Diversity Leadership Academy of Greater Indianapolis. This program—only the second of its kind in the nation—incorporates unique leadership development and training that helps community leaders cultivate more effective ways to address the challenges and opportunities of a highly diverse population within their organizations as well as in the Indianapolis community.
We also continued to respond to the various health and human service needs in our communities through United Way and its organizations. In 2003, we once again conducted dozens of local
campaigns throughout our nine states. As a result, Anthem and its associates contributed more than $4.2 million to local United Way organizations and their affiliated agencies.
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“We knew that in 2002, the number of people getting flu shots was down and deaths from the flu were up. We identified the need for
a community education campaign. Anthem
partnered with us and provided the backing we needed to make it work.”
Rebecca Thomas Ford
Executive Director
Partners for a Healthy Louisville |
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