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Health Net's 2008 Medicare Products Support Heart-Healthy Lifestyles

Posted on: Monday, 1 October 2007, 18:00 CDT

Health Net, Inc. (NYSE:HNT) today unveiled three new Medicare plans promoting heart health. The plans support the American Heart Association's approach to a healthy lifestyle. Health Net's Healthy Heart product offering includes a:

Comprehensive medical and prescription drug Medicare Advantage HMO plan in Southern California;

Special needs Medicare Advantage HMO plan (SNP) in Southern California for those with high cholesterol; and

Medicare Advantage Private Fee-for-Service medical plan in San Antonio, Texas, that includes a Part D Prescription Drug Plan.

All three plans include benefits to help members avoid tobacco use; manage stress, blood pressure and high cholesterol; and promote nutrition, weight management and physical activity. The plans also include access to Decision PowerSM, Health Net's program of online and on-call support and resources to directly involve members with their doctors in making health care and healthy lifestyle decisions.

"Health Net's vision for Medicare members is not just about treating illness," said Mark El-Tawil, chief Medicare officer of Health Net, Inc. "We look for ways to support healthy lifestyles and wellness. By supporting the American Heart Association's approach to a healthy lifestyle, we have created plans that will help our members stay well so they can live their lives to the fullest."

Health Net also is launching its new Health NetSM Take Care Program for Medicare members in Connecticut. This program focuses on putting the member in the center of everything Health Net does, thus changing the way Medicare members experience health care. Features include quick issue resolution and access to nurses for chronic conditions; the availability of fitness programs; ready access to pharmacy technicians to assist with prescription drug questions; and on-call transition teams to ensure smooth transfers from hospital to home, skilled nursing and/or long-term care facilities.

Additional highlights of Health Net's national Medicare Advantage and Part D product offerings include the following:

Expansion of Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) medical plans from seven to 12 states. In addition to California, Connecticut, Hawaii, New Mexico, New York, Texas and Washington, Health Net will now offer PFFS medical plans in Georgia, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Oregon and Virginia;

Continuation of Medicare Prescription Drug Plan stand-alone coverage (referred to as Part D) in all 50 states and the District of Columbia;

Increased choice for Medicare beneficiaries in rural Yavapai County in Arizona with the expansion of Health Net's existing zero-premium Medicare HMO, which includes medical and prescription drug coverage;

Introduction of High Cholesterol Chronic Medicare Advantage Special Needs Plans (SNPs) in Connecticut, Oregon and Washington; and

Continuation of SNPs that focus on beneficiaries who are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid in Arizona, California and Connecticut. In two California counties, Health Net will continue to offer a SNP that addresses health issues faced by Medicare beneficiaries who have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and congestive heart failure (CHF).

"Health Net has a long history of meeting the health care needs of seniors and people with disabilities," said Jay Gellert, president and chief executive officer of Health Net, Inc. "We work hard to have a deep understanding of our Medicare members' needs so we can provide them with a range of affordable health care solutions that will make a real difference in their lives. Our 2008 products do just that."

At the end of the second quarter of 2007, Health Net had approximately 236,000 members enrolled in Medicare Advantage Plans and 348,000 members enrolled in Medicare Part D (stand-alone) programs. Medicare Advantage is the program for Medicare managed care that includes health maintenance organization (HMO), preferred provider organization (PPO) and Private Fee-for Service (PFFS) products. The Part D prescription drug program, regional PPOs, and the Special Needs Plans were created as part of the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003.

Information about Health Net's plans is available by calling 800-903-0944, or on the Web site www.abetterdecision.com. Consumers also can visit Health Net's Medicare stores in Los Angeles, Calif.; Mesa, Ariz.; and, as of mid-November, San Antonio, Texas.

About Health Net

Health Net, Inc. is among the nation's largest publicly traded managed health care companies. Its mission is to help people be healthy, secure and comfortable. The company's health plans and government contracts subsidiaries provide health benefits to approximately 6.6 million individuals across the country through group, individual, Medicare, Medicaid and TRICARE and Veterans Affairs programs. Health Net's behavioral health subsidiary, MHN, provides mental health benefits to approximately 7.0 million individuals in all 50 states. The company's subsidiaries also offer managed health care products related to prescription drugs, and offer managed health care product coordination for multi-region employers and administrative services for medical groups and self-funded benefits programs.

For more information on Health Net, Inc., please visit the company's Web site at www.healthnet.com.

Cautionary Statements

Health Net, Inc. and its representatives may from time to time make written and oral forward-looking statements, including statements contained in news releases, in Health Net's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, in the company's reports to shareholders and in meetings with investors and analysts, 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 and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed 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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