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Regence Invests in Kinetix Living Corp.

PORTLAND, Ore., March 10 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of its continued focus on developing programs designed to meet employers' needs, Regence has acquired the assets of Kinetix Living Corp., a Seattle-based company that provides customized health and nutrition programs to corporate clients and individuals throughout the country.

Employers face $12.7 billion in annual medical expenses due to obesity alone, and work site wellness can have a tremendous impact on employers' productivity and bottom line. Kinetix is an important catalyst for shifting corporate cultures toward an emphasis on improved health and wellness among employers. This is why Regence has offered Kinetix to its own employees for more than a year, and the results have been outstanding. Regence also has a marketing relationship with the company under which Regence has introduced Kinetix to some of its employer groups.

"Kinetix is a company with a unique vision for advancing the health and wellness of our employees, members and communities," said Mark Ganz, President and CEO of Regence. "We believe this acquisition will strengthen our ability to engage and empower consumers to improve their overall health."

As the result of this investment, Kinetix is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Regence BlueShield in Washington. Kinetix is a simple, integrated approach to healthy living that combines nutrition, exercise and a supportive community to help people get and stay in shape.

About Regence

Regence is the largest health insurer in the Northwest / Intermountain Region, offering health, life and dental insurance. Regence serves more than 2.5 million members as Regence BlueShield of Idaho, Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon, Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah and Regence BlueShield (selected counties in Washington). Each health plan is a nonprofit independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Regence is committed to improving the health of our members and our communities, and to transforming our health care system. For more information, please visit www.regence.com or follow us on Twitter.

SOURCE Regence