Legislation Passed Clarifying Role of NYS Comptroller in Connection with the Sale of WellChoice Stock by the New York Public Ass

     Comptroller Has No Authority to Review Contracts Relating to
    Underwriting Agreements, Pricing Agreements and Other Documents
             Related to Sales of Stock or Stock Offerings

   WellChoice, Inc., (NYSE: WC) announced that the New York State
Legislature passed a bill (A. 9009/S. 5928) which clarifies the role
of the New York State Comptroller (the "Comptroller") with respect to
the sale of WellChoice stock by the New York Public Asset Fund (the
"Fund"), the owner of approximately 62% of WellChoice stock.
   The legislation specifically provides that the Comptroller does
not have authority to review any contracts relating to underwriting
agreements, pricing agreements or other documents relating to the sale
of stock or stock offering entered into by the Fund with respect to
the sale of WellChoice stock. The Fund does, however, have to submit
vendor contracts for consulting and professional services to the
Comptroller for review and approval. With respect to all contracts
recommended or entered into by the Fund prior to June 23, 2005, they
are deemed approved and do not need to be submitted to the
Comptroller.

   The bill now goes to the Governor for his signature.

   For a full discussion of this issue, please refer to WellChoice's
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004 and
its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three months ended March 31,
2005.

   About WellChoice

   WellChoice, Inc. is the parent company of the largest health
insurer in the State of New York based on PPO and HMO membership.
WellChoice, through its Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield subsidiaries,
has the exclusive right to use the Blue Cross and Blue Shield names
and marks in 10 downstate New York counties and one or both of these
names and marks in selected counties in upstate New York. WellChoice
offers a broad portfolio of products, including managed care and
traditional indemnity products, and has a broad customer base
including large group, middle-market and small group, individual, and
national accounts. Additional information on WellChoice can be found
at www.wellchoice.com.

   Cautionary Statement

   Some of the information contained in this press release is
forward-looking, including statements relating to future financial or
business results. Forward-looking information is based on management's
estimates, assumptions and projections and is subject to significant
uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond the
company's control. Important risk factors could cause future results
to differ materially from those estimated by management. Those risks
and uncertainties include but are not limited to: our ability to
accurately predict health care costs and to manage those costs through
underwriting criteria, quality initiatives and medical management;
product design and negotiation of favorable provider reimbursement
rates; our ability to maintain or increase our premium rates; possible
reductions in enrollment in our products or changes in membership
including the loss of either the New York City or the New York State
account; the regional concentration of our business in the New York
metropolitan area and the effects of economic downturns in that region
or generally; future bio-terrorist activity or other potential public
health epidemics; the impact of health care reform and other
regulatory matters; the outcome of litigation. For a more detailed
discussion of these and other important factors that may materially
affect WellChoice, please see WellChoice's filings with the Securities
and Exchange Commission, including the discussion of risk factors and
historical results of operations and financial condition in its Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004 and its
Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three months ended March 31,
2005.