WellPoint Subsidiary Makes Good On Health Investment Pledge

By Staff Writer

October 09, 2007 at 09:53 AM

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Blue Cross of California has agreed to invest about $11 million in National Health Services Inc.

National Health Services, Shafter, Calif., a nonprofit group that provides health care for poor people, seasonal farm workers and other people who have a hard time getting medical care, will use the money to build a new administrative center in Shafter and medical and dental clinics in Rosedale, Calif., and Ridgecrest, Calif., according to California Blue, Woodland Hills, Calif.

California Blue is now part of WellPoint Inc., Indianapolis.

Anthem Inc., Indianapolis, and the old WellPoint Health Networks Inc., Thousand Oaks, Calif., formed WellPoint Inc. through a 2004 merger.

To get permission from California regulators to proceed with the merger, WellPoint Health Systems agreed to support health care in rural communities and poor urban communities by having California Blue invest about $200 million in health care programs.

California Blue now has invested $202 million in health system improvement efforts through its Investment in a Healthy California Program, California Blue says.

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