Two North Carolina companies are teaming up to help kids eat healthier and encourage their parents to do the same. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina and Lowes Foods are promoting an in-store scavenger hunt for healthy foods, asking kids to “hunt for better health.”

Officials of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) have rejected an ultimatum from the Moses Cone Health System for an immediate 18 percent fee increase and a more than 36 percent increase overall by July 2009.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) has elected two respected Triangle leaders to serve on its board of trustees. Andrea Bazan-Manson and Walter C. Davenport were elected at the May meeting of the board. The BCBSNC board is made up of 14 community leaders from across North Carolina with diverse backgrounds in areas including health care, business, finance and education.

The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation has invested more than $560,000 in 11 organizations across the state through grants to fund programs designed to improve the health of vulnerable populations and promote physically active communities.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina’s (BCBSNC) annual food drive – Cross-Out Hunger Day – filled two trucks with donated food for the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina.

NC Prevention Partners has honored Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) for its successful efforts to promote healthy weight, good nutrition and regular physical activity for its members. The company received the group’s 2007 NC Prevention Award for Preventive Benefits Excellence.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) announced today that it has recognized and rewarded more than 135 physicians statewide, representing 29 practices, for meeting stringent national quality health care standards set by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). The practices received a combined total of more than $800,000 in quality care rewards through the Bridges to ExcellenceTM program after fulfilling the requirements of this national program.

The Fit Community designations were made by Fit Together, the statewide initiative by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) and the N.C. Health and Wellness Trust Fund (HWTF) to combat obesity and excessive weight. Lt. Gov. Bev Perdue, chair of the HWTF, and Bob Greczyn, president and CEO of BCBSNC, presented the awards, which are in the second year. Thirty cities, counties and towns applied for the designation.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) is turning its vision for a healthier North Carolina into a statewide, grassroots movement promoting nutrition and exercise. The state’s largest health insurer is launching a new campaign, “Eat and Move,” that will engage kids, parents and teachers in healthy behaviors.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina today announced a new dental insurance product that allows employers to provide dental coverage to their workers at no required cost to the employer.