Blue Cross and The Los Angeles Dodgers ''Pitch In'' for Uninsured Communities; 2005 Season Partnership Established to Reach out to and Educate Fans and Underserved Communities of Southern California.

LOS ANGELES -- Blue Cross of California (Blue Cross) and the 2004 Western Division champion Los Angeles Dodgers, in partnership with the Dodgers Dream Foundation, today announced a season-long partnership called "Pitch in for a Healthier California," a broad-based initiative to promote health education and to encourage enrollment of underserved and uninsured multicultural communities in low or no-cost health coverage programs throughout greater Los Angeles.

"'Pitch in for a Healthier California' is an original program to educate the uninsured--and baseball fans in general--about the many free and low-cost health care coverage options available as well as the importance of taking an active role in promoting a healthy lifestyle," said David S. Helwig, president and CEO of Blue Cross.

In addition, the Blue Cross Foundation is contributing funds to promote awareness of, and encourage donations to, health-related charities that support the organization's goal of healthy living and to help the uninsured to find programs where they can obtain coverage throughout the Dodgers 2005 home season. Blue Cross will also be on-site throughout the season providing staff to help educate and enroll eligible individuals in California's Medi-Cal and Healthy Families programs.

"The Los Angeles Dodgers and the Dodgers Dream Foundation are very pleased to join forces with Blue Cross and invite all baseball fans to learn how they can do their part and 'pitch in' to become a healthy community," said Sr. Vice President and Chief Sales Officer Greg McElroy. "We look forward to making an impact in addressing this important social issue for our local communities and Dodger fans alike."

Season long co-branded promotions will showcase the California Uninsured Help Line (800-234-1317). The public can call this number for referral assistance in English and Spanish on how they can qualify and enroll in low-cost health care coverage for themselves and their families. Throughout the regular season, "Pitch in for a Healthier California" will focus on education and various charities that provide health services to underserved and uninsured populations.

Blue Cross of California is one of the state's largest health insurers and together with its California affiliate, BC Life & Health Insurance, the company serves more than 7.6 million medical members. Headquartered in Southern California, Blue Cross of California offers a flexible product portfolio with a broad range of options for small, medium and large groups, as well as individual plans for people without access to group coverage, seniors and consumers who are eligible for state sponsored programs. Blue Cross of California is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Association and can be found on the web at www.bluecrossca.com.