The Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation has awarded a new three-year (2005-2007), $400,000 grant to Kids in Need of Dentistry (KIND) to support on-going operations of Miles for Smiles -- a 36-foot, state-of-the-art, custom-designed mobile dental clinic that serves uninsured and under-insured children and youth in Colorado.

For the past five years, Miles for Smiles has provided critically needed dental care to thousands of uninsured and under-insured children on Colorado's Western Slope. In January 2005, the clinic will begin an annual nine-month-a-year tour of Denver, providing comprehensive dental care to youth that participate in the Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Denver and low-income infants, toddlers and preschoolers that attend Mile High Montessori Early Learning Centers.

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield established Miles for Smiles in 1999. With this new grant, Anthem's commitment to improving the dental health of Colorado children reaches nearly $1.2 million. The mobile clinic is fully capable of handling most dental procedures and emergency situations and features two Adec operatories, a Digora digital x-ray system and an integrated triangle sterilization center.

"Tooth decay is the single most common chronic childhood disease, occurring five times more frequently than asthma. In Colorado alone, 25 percent of children -- largely from low-income and minority populations -- are not able to see a dentist, even in extreme situations. Anthem established Miles for Smiles because we're committed to improving the health of our members and the communities in which we live and work," said Caz Matthews, President of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield's Western region. "Children shouldn't have to be embarrassed to smile or suffer the debilitating pain of chronic toothache and dental abscess. Miles for Smiles is making a difference for children in need of dental care, who can't otherwise afford or access treatment."

Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Denver provides after school programming to inner city children ages 6-18 in Denver and Aurora. Many of the children are from single parent households and 73 percent of them live below the poverty line.

Mile High Montessori Early Learning Centers provides child care and early childhood education to at-risk children from birth to five years old. The majority of the families are headed by single mothers who have taken steps to get off public assistance and into the work force or employment training. More than 94 percent are low income families or have incomes below federal poverty levels.

"Our Miles for Smiles mobile dental van will be able to reach large numbers of children who are otherwise unable to receive dental care," said Mary Allman-Koernig, executive director of KIND. "Often, these children are not receiving proper care because they either can't afford or can't access dental care. Lack of transportation or scheduling difficulties for the parents or guardians also contributes to the problem."

KIND expects to provide up to 1,350 patient visits and $400,000 worth of dental services on its mobile dental van during the first year, Allman-Koernig said. Because KIND's services are intended to bridge the gap between public assistance and private dentistry, families will be asked to pay a small percentage of the value of services provided. However, no child will be turned away if his or her family is unable to pay.

Kids in Need of Dentistry was founded in 1912 and is the oldest dental charity in the United States. It is the first and only access program in the country to earn the endorsement of the American Dental Association and is one of only two charities in the U.S. to have been endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.

About Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield's mission is to improve the health of the people it serves. Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Colorado is a subsidiary of WellPoint, Inc. (NYSE:WLP). WellPoint, Inc. is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association and serves its members as the Blue Cross licensee for California; the Blue Cross and Blue Shield licensee for Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri (excluding 30 counties in the Kansas City area), Nevada, New Hampshire, Ohio, Virginia (excluding the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C.), Wisconsin; and through HealthLink and UniCare. Additional information about WellPoint is available at www.wellpoint.com.

The Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation is a private corporate Foundation dedicated to promoting the health and well-being of the communities where Anthem, Inc. works and lives through targeted charitable giving. Established in 2000, the Foundation awards grants to programs and initiatives that: help people in Anthem communities manage and improve their health; enrich the greater community; or are supported by Anthem associates. For more information about the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation, contact Vicki Perkins at 317-488-6216.

The Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies are independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.