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ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND (January 26, 2010) – CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield (CareFirst) contributed more than $46 million in 2009 to community and government programs in Maryland, the District of Columbia and Northern Virginia to help improve health care quality, affordability, accessibility, and safety. CareFirst's regional community giving program, CareFirst Commitment, was launched in 2005. In Maryland, CareFirst contributed more than $23 million to 169 community organizations and government health programs in 2009.

"2009 was a challenging year in many ways for government, business, families and individuals," said Chet Burrell, President and CEO of CareFirst. "The $21 million we dedicated to Maryland programs in 2009 highlights CareFirst's unique role as a not-for-profit with a mission to expand access to health care. We are here when you need us and committed to our corporate responsibilities even in these challenging times."

CareFirst pledged $4 million in 2009 to help fund the Maryland Senior Drug Assistance Program (MD SPDAP). CareFirst's contribution to the program dramatically helps reduce the total out-of-pocket costs for individuals who reach the Medicare prescription plan's "donut hole."

In October, Governor Martin O'Malley said of CareFirst's continued support, "because of Chet Burrell and the good people at CareFirst and our ability to close that donut hole, it means that seniors, in those small places close to home, won't have to choose between whether they buy groceries this week or whether they buy their prescription drugs."

CareFirst placed a strong emphasis on improving maternal and child health in 2009 to reduce the rate of infant mortality throughout the region. In Baltimore City, for example, CareFirst committed $3 million for a comprehensive grass roots campaign by the Baltimore City Department of Health that will give access to medical care for expecting mothers and provide counseling for raising healthy babies. At Coppin State University, Congressman Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.) helped unveil a $50,000 pediatric nursing simulator, donated by CareFirst to the school’s nursing program. "Baby Blue" is helping Coppin State put more qualified pediatric nurses in the workforce and improving the quality of care infants receive from their health care providers.

In Montgomery and Prince George's Counties, CareFirst teamed with the Maryland Citizens' Health Initiative, the AARP and Maryland Hospital Association to help expand the reach of the state's 211-hotline program, helping uninsured Marylanders find affordable access to health care.

Also among the highlights for 2009, the first eICU center in Maryland became fully operational in Calvert County through a multi-year, $3 million CareFirst grant to Maryland eCare. The eICU program connects six rural Maryland hospitals to a central intensive care command center where patients can be remotely monitored from Christiana Care, in Wilmington, Delaware, and alert local staff to any patient concerns. The Maryland eCare initiative is an important program for relieving staffing shortages in this critical care field.

"We are thrilled to bring rural Maryland patients this enhanced level of care," said Dr. Thomas Lawrence, Board Chair of Maryland eCare and Chief Medical Officer for Peninsula Regional Medical Center, an eCare member. "This is an exciting step towards improving the already high quality of care for all Marylanders."

In its 74th year, CareFirst, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, is a not-for-profit health care organization which, through its affiliates and subsidiaries, offers a comprehensive portfolio of health insurance products and administrative services to 3.4 million individuals and groups in Maryland, the District of Columbia and Northern Virginia. Through its CareFirst Commitment initiative and other public mission activities, CareFirst supports efforts to increase the accessibility, affordability, safety and quality of health care throughout its market areas.

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