CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Continues Support $30,000 Grant Will Fund Upcoming Trish Greene Back To School Conference and Patient Programs November 15, 2012 - The National Capital Area Chapter of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) and CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield (CareFirst) announced today that CareFirst will continue its support of LLS into 2013, donating $30,000 to the organization to assist with its patient and professional education programs. The grant will allow LLS to continue to offer the Trish Greene Back to School Conference at no cost to attendees. "We are incredibly thankful to CareFirst for its support of our patient services and educational programs," said Gabrielle Urquhart, National Capital Area Chapter Executive Director. "Improving the quality of life of our patients and their families is an important part of the LLS mission. Each program we are able to provide helps to educate our patients about their illness and treatment options, and what to expect along the way." The annual Back to School Conference is slated for Friday, November 16th at the University of Maryland Student Union. The conference helps to educate school and health care professionals, along with parents, about the cognitive and late effects of childhood cancer treatment in order to improve the transition of childhood cancer survivors from the hospital to the classroom. Attendees will hear from leaders in the pediatric cancer industry and learn more about what to expect when a child who has beaten cancer returns to school. "Helping ease childhood cancer survivors back into healthy, everyday life is challenging," said Maria Harris Tildon, CareFirst Senior Vice President of Public Policy and Community Affairs. "CareFirst's support for organizations such as The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society advances this vital effort and brings patients closer to the support they need." CareFirst's grant also helps provide patient programs in Prince George's County aimed at offering appropriate education events and one-on-one patient navigation for local underserved populations. CareFirst's commitment to LLS has gone beyond the funding of programs, as employees have participated in Light the Night Walks since 2004 and recently expanded their involvement to include the Corporate Team in Training Program. With participants in both the Rock'n'Roll USA Marathon in March of 2012, and last month's Baltimore Running Festival, CareFirst employees raised an additional $50,000 for LLS's mission, while becoming actively engaged in a core program. For a complete list of patient services programs offered by the National Capital Area Chapter, and how to get involved, please visit www.lls.org/nca or call (703) 399-2900. About CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield In its 75th year of service, CareFirst, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, is a not-for-profit health care company 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. In 2011, CareFirst contributed $51 million to community programs designed to increase the accessibility, affordability, safety and quality of health care throughout its market areas. To learn more about CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, visit our website at www.carefirst.com or follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/CareFirst_News.