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Health Net of the Northeast Awarded ''Excellent'' and ''Quality Plus Distinction'' NCQA Accreditation; Excellent Accreditation Status Reserved for Best Health Plans

Posted on: Wednesday, 19 July 2006, 09:00 CDT

Health Net of the Northeast, Inc., a subsidiary of Health Net, Inc. (NYSE: HNT), today announced that the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) has awarded an accreditation status of "Excellent" for service and clinical quality to Health Net's HMO and POS Commercial product lines in Connecticut, New Jersey and New York. Additionally, Health Net's HMO and POS Commercial product lines in Connecticut, New Jersey and New York were awarded "Quality Plus Distinction" in Member Connections for effectively engaging members in their care, especially via the Web. The accreditation is effective July 5, 2006, and valid through Spring 2009.

"As one of the Northeast's leading health plans, achieving 'Excellent' and 'Quality Plus Distinction' NCQA status is very important to Health Net," said Steve H. Nelson, president, Health Net of the Northeast. "We are very proud to receive NCQA's highest status designations which highlight our ongoing commitment to providing our tri-state members with quality health care -- and contracting with physicians, medical groups and hospitals that will do the same."

The "Excellent" status, according to NCQA, is reserved for the nation's best health plans. It is awarded to those plans that meet or exceed NCQA's rigorous requirements for consumer protection and quality improvement and deliver excellent clinical care. The "Quality Plus Distinction" in Member Connections is a part of the next generation of NCQA accreditation that measures how effective a health plan engages their members in his/her care, especially via the Web.

"Earning 'Excellent' accreditation reflects a health plan's ability to work with its members' physicians to improve the quality of clinical care," said Margaret E. O'Kane, president, NCQA. "It shows that the plan is building the kinds of partnerships that are critical to delivering great care and great service."

"This is an exciting time for Health Net," added Nelson. "Being awarded two of the highest levels of NCQA accreditation serves as two more reasons why Health Net is a better decision for our members. Additionally, reaching this important milestone is affirmation that Health Net provides some of the best service and clinical quality in the country."

NCQA is an independent, not-for-profit organization dedicated to measuring the quality of America's health care. NCQA accreditation evaluates how a health plan certifies that its members are receiving high quality care and includes rigorous on-site and off-site evaluations of more than 60 standards and selected HEDIS (Health Plan Employer Data and Information Set) performance measures. HEDIS is a registered trademark of NCQA. NCQA accreditation standards are purposely set high to encourage health plans to continuously enhance their quality.

NCQA accreditation is a nationally recognized, voluntary evaluation that purchasers, regulators and consumers can use to assess managed care plans.

About Health Net

Health Net of the Northeast, Inc., headquartered in Shelton, Conn., employs approximately 1,800 associates in Connecticut, New Jersey and New York. Health Net of the Northeast, through its subsidiaries, offers full-service health plans that serve nearly one million members in the tri-state area. The Northeast health plans offer a wide array of products including: Health Maintenance Organization (HMO), Point-of-Service (POS), Preferred Provider Organization (PPO), third-party administration, Medicare and Medicaid. With a physician network comprising more than 90,000 physician and provider office locations, Health Net is one of the largest health plans in the northeast, offering a full array of open-access products and coordination for multi-region employers.

Health Net of the Northeast is a subsidiary of Health Net, Inc. (NYSE:HNT). 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 HMO, POS, insured PPO and government contracts subsidiaries provide health benefits to approximately 6.6 million individuals in 27 states and the District of Columbia through group, individual, Medicare, Medicaid and TRICARE programs. Health Net's behavioral health services subsidiary, MHN, provides mental health benefits to approximately 7.3 million individuals in all 50 states, including the company's own health plan members. 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

Certain matters discussed in this release contain 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, 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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