Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, a nonprofit independent licensee of the BlueCross BlueShield Association, is part of a family of companies that finances and delivers vital health care services to nearly 2 million people. Excellus BlueCross BlueShield provides access to high-quality, affordable health coverage - particularly for the uninsured, underinsured and aged. We also offer valuable health-related resources that our members use every day, such as cost-saving prescription drug discounts and Member Rewards programs. To learn more, visit www.excellusbcbs.com.

In addition to providing excellent health care insurance coverage for thousands of subscribers, we help to improve the overall quality of life for the people who reside in our communities. We take our responsibility as a corporate citizen seriously, giving back to the communities where we work and live. It's part of our mission.

We have programs to help families cope with a child's serious illness, keep kids from smoking and encourage parents to read to their babies. We partner with other local nonprofit organizations to improve the rural health delivery system, to offer more hospital and palliative care options and to prevent a future nursing shortage. We work with schools to help students achieve academic excellence. They are our hope for the future.

We also sponsor and support a wide range of community-based charities and organizations financially and with gifts in kind. Some organizations, such as the American Heart Association, American Red Cross and the March of Dimes, are health related. Others promote the arts and the culture of our community, including symphonies, the theater and sports.

Through our in-house volunteer program, we allow employees to perform community service on company time. Excellus BlueCross BlueShield employees give their time and talents to a variety of local organizations.

Whatever the cause, it's an investment in our future-and yours. That's why we're here.