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Health Net of California Providing Members With Enhanced Tools and Services

Posted on: Friday, 24 March 2006, 09:00 CST

As part of its initiative to help its members make better health care decisions, Health Net of California is enhancing the tools they can use to determine the quality of care provided by hospitals and medical groups.

Hospital Comparison Report and Recognition Program

Health Net believes it has made its existing Hospital Comparison Report more valuable by singling out for recognition those hospitals that have implemented patient-focused quality measurement and improvement programs that are sanctioned by two of the nation's leading collaborative efforts aimed at improving medical quality and outcomes: the Leapfrog Group and the California Hospital Assessment Reporting Taskforce (CHART).

"By recognizing those who, like us, are committed to enhancing patient safety and improving medical outcomes, we are encouraging everyone to step up their quality and service by making their information publicly available," said Lance Lang, M.D., vice president and senior medical director for Health Net of California.

The hospitals that have been singled out for recognition, which are listed below, are noted with a gold star in Health Net's Hospital Comparison Report.

The comparison report is an online tool members use to compare hospitals within Health Net's network by ranking any of the following criteria: mortality rates, complication rates, lengths of stay, relative costs, and the number of patients treated.

"Using the Hospital Comparison Report allows members to see for themselves how much hospital quality differs, using the criteria that are most important to them," Lang said.

Health Net members may view the report by first logging on to www.healthnet.com, then going to Make an Informed Decision and then to Compare Hospitals.

Medical Group Comparison Report

In addition to the Hospital Comparison Report, Health Net provides members with an online tool to compare medical groups based on their quality of care and service measures.

The criteria and measurements in the Medical Group Comparison Report are derived from the groundbreaking California Pay for Performance program, which aggregates data from seven health plans, 225 physician groups and 6.2 million patients.

"By using data collected from such a wide spectrum of care - and not just from Health Net - we are providing our members with information that is based on the most reliable assessment of California physician group performance," said Lang.

Health Net members may access the Medical Group Comparison Report by first going to www.healthnet.com, then going to Make an Informed Decision and then to Compare Medical Groups.

Decision Power

Both the Hospital Comparison Report and the Medical Group Comparison Report are part of Health Net's broad array of highly interactive services, including Decision Power(sm), that we believe helps members make better, more informed health care decisions.

Decision Power provides Health Net members with tools to make better-informed medical decisions while working in close collaboration with their doctors. Among other features, Decision Power provides an online questionnaire to help members assess their current health risks.

Additionally, Decision Power provides 24/7 access to Health Coaches who are specially trained and experienced professionals, such as nurses, dietitians and respiratory therapists. Health Coaches are skilled at providing evidence-based health information and coaching support to help members better evaluate their available health care choices. And Decision Power gives Health Net members independent access to information resources and online tools, as well as support videos to assist them in making better health care decisions.

For more information about Decision Power, Health Net members may contact a Member Services representative at the number listed on their Health Net identification cards, or they may log on to www.healthnet.com, then go to Make an Informed Decision and then to Decision Power.

Health Net of California, a subsidiary of Health Net, Inc. (NYSE:HNT), is one of the largest health plans in the state, serving nearly 2.3 million members statewide. It contracts with more than 51,000 physicians, 300 hospitals and 4,600 pharmacies, giving its members greater choice and more convenient access to care. Its commercial, POS and Medicare lines of business have received the "excellent" accreditation status from the National Committee for Quality Assurance. For more information about Health Net, please visit its Web site at www.healthnet.com.

This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. All statements, other than statements of historical information provided herein, may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. These statements are based on management's analysis, judgment, belief and expectation only as of the date hereof, and are subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances. Without limiting the foregoing, the words "believes,""anticipates,""plans,""expects,""may,""should,""could,""estimate,""intend" and other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Actual results could differ materially due to, among other things, rising health care costs, negative prior period claims reserve developments, trends in medical care ratios, issues relating to provider contracts, litigation costs, operational issues, health care reform and general business conditions. Additional factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the risks discussed in the "Risk Factors" section included within the company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC and the risks discussed in the company's other periodic filings with the SEC. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly revise these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that arise after the date of this release.

Source: Business Wire

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