BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Employees Achieve Impressive Quit Rates with the Free & Clear® Quit For Life™ Program

Seattle — BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina is celebrating its one-year anniversary with the Free & Clear Quit For Life Program. BlueCross BlueShield launched the Quit For Life Program in April of 2006 to its 12,000 employees, with stellar results.

“The Quit For Life Program is very popular with our employees and their family members—nearly 900 have enrolled thus far,” said Barbara Kelly, BlueCross vice president of human resources. “What’s extraordinary is we’ve reached quit rates that are three to six times greater than with those quitting cold turkey or using their local public health services.”

Additionally, 90 percent of BlueCross BlueShield’s employees and their dependents report being satisfied or very satisfied with the program.

“High quit rates like this are very impressive in the first year of the program,” said Mary Kate Salley, Free & Clear senior vice president of client services. “Especially in a tobacco-producing state like South Carolina that has the sixth highest rate of smoking nationwide. We look forward to helping more South Carolinians quit using tobacco and servicing more employers in the state through our strong partnership with BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina.”

Free & Clear is an award-winning program based on 20 years of research and clinical experience. The program provides one-on-one telephone-based treatment sessions with a professional Free & Clear Quit Coach™, as well as the latest medications (e.g. patch, gum, lozenges, and Chantix). Once enrolled, participants have support available even if they quit and start using tobacco again during the treatment program.

Headquartered in Columbia, S.C., BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, an association of independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans. BLUECROSS and BLUESHIELD are registered marks of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

About Free & Clear, Inc.
Free & Clear is the leading provider of phone-based tobacco treatment services for health plans, employers, and government organizations. Free & Clear helps its clients improve the health of their populations and control related costs by reducing the prevalence of tobacco use. More than 50 million people have access to the Free & Clear Quit For Life Program, which has had its proof of effectiveness published in multiple peer-reviewed, scientific journals over the course of nearly 20 years. Free & Clear is based in Seattle, Washington. More information about Free & Clear can be found at www.freeclear.com.

Contact:
Jaine Solan
Free & Clear, Inc.
(206) 876-2185
jaine.solan(at)freeclear(dot)com

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