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AMERIGROUP Honored for Community Involvement, Volunteer Service

Posted on: Monday, 22 December 2008, 14:13 CST

Company Earns Awards for Outreach Initiatives

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va., Dec. 22, 2008 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- AMERIGROUP Corporation (NYSE: AGP) has been named the top "Good Corporate Neighbor" among large businesses in Hampton Roads, in recognition of the extensive charitable and volunteer activities of company associates in 2008.

AMERIGROUP has been honored as Hampton Roads' outstanding large employer in the Corporate Volunteer Excellence Awards, which are sponsored by Virginia Business magazine and VOLUNTEER Hampton Roads, the region's nonprofit resource center. The large company category includes businesses with more than 500 employees.

The award is the third major recognition for community involvement and workplace excellence bestowed on AMERIGROUP and its employees in 2008. Along with the "Good Corporate Neighbor" designation, AMERIGROUP was named a finalist in the Torchbearer Awards, which are sponsored by the Virginia Chamber of Commerce, and as one of "America's Best Places to Work in Healthcare" by Modern Healthcare magazine.

"As a company whose only job is bringing healthcare to vulnerable Americans through public programs like Medicaid and Medicare, we lend a helping hand to the communities we serve every day," said James G. Carlson, AMERIGROUP Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "But our people don't just do their jobs and go home. When they see needs that aren't being met, they use their energy and expertise to meet them.

"I've always been proud of our associates and their willingness to serve, but their accomplishments in 2008 were truly outstanding. We're grateful that the efforts of so many of our people are being recognized. I'm honored to be part of such a committed, caring team."

AMERIGROUP employs about 4,000 people nationwide, including about 1,800 in Virginia Beach. The community service activities undertaken by employees in 2008 include:

• March of Dimes' March for Babies: About 600 associates participated in 10 local Marches across the country, including 400 associates who participated in Hampton Roads alone, raising about $150,000.
• Habitat for Humanity Building Blitz: More than 150 associates joined in a home construction initiative in June in Suffolk, Virginia. Around the Hampton Roads region, the Building Blitz produced 16 new homes.
• AMERIGROUP Disaster Response Team: More than 160 associates signed up for this new program, which is designed to provide emergency assistance and healthcare expertise to localities hit by natural disasters, with a special focus on assisting people with disabilities. In late 2008, in the wake of hurricanes in the Southern United States, Disaster Response Team units deployed to Tennessee, Georgia and Texas.
• Partnership with Nonprofit Organizations: To help volunteer organizations build the capacity to better serve the Hampton Roads region, AMERIGROUP is offering management expertise and technical support to targeted groups in the area. In 2008, associates worked extensively with ForKids, which fights homelessness among children.

For more details and stories on AMERIGROUP's community service initiatives, including the Company's current Corporate Social Responsibility report, visit www.amerigroupcorp.com/news/Pages/MediaKit.aspx.

About AMERIGROUP Corporation

AMERIGROUP Corporation, headquartered in Virginia Beach, Virginia, improves healthcare access and quality for the financially vulnerable, seniors and people with disabilities by developing innovative managed health services for the public sector. As of September 30, 2008, through its subsidiaries, AMERIGROUP Corporation serves approximately 1.7 million people in Florida, Georgia, Maryland, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. For more information, visit www.amerigroupcorp.com.

About AMERIGROUP Foundation

The AMERIGROUP Foundation is the philanthropic arm of AMERIGROUP Corporation, a multi-state managed healthcare company based in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The Foundation works to create healthy communities by fostering access to healthcare, encouraging safe and healthy children and families, and promoting community improvement and healthy neighborhoods. For more information about the AMERIGROUP Foundation, visit www.amerigroupcorp.com/foundation.

CONTACTS: Investors: Julie Loftus Trudell Senior Vice President, Investor Relations AMERIGROUP Corporation (757) 321-3597 News Media: Kent Jenkins Jr. Senior Vice President, External Communications AMERIGROUP Corporation (757) 769-7859

SOURCE AMERIGROUP Corporation

Source: PR Newswire

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