University of Chicago Hospitals and Health System and Humana announce agreement

University of Chicago Hospitals and Health System and Humana announce agreement

August 29, 2006

University of Chicago Hospitals and Health System and Humana (NYSE: HUM) announced today the signing of a contract under which University of Chicago will provide health care services to individuals and families participating in Humana commercial health insurance plans.

The agreement covers all University of Chicago Hospitals and Health System facilities and services, including the Bernard Mitchell Hospital, Comer Children's Hospital, the Duchossois Center for Advanced Medicine and the University of Chicago Physicians Group, the largest in the region. Humana health plan members may access University of Chicago facilities and physicians beginning September 1, 2006.

"We are pleased to be able to provide access to our system and our remarkable physicians--including the chance to participate, when appropriate, in hundreds of innovative clinical trials, many of them available only at selected medical centers--to patients with Humana commercial health insurance plans," said Kenneth Kates, interim president of the University of Chicago Medical Center.

"As one of the region's premier health systems and teaching hospitals, the University of Chicago provides a comprehensive range of services that we are proud to offer to our members," said Hassan Rifaat, chief executive officer of Humana's Illinois market. "This agreement gives all of Humana's commercial members an even broader choice of participating hospitals and physicians, and enables Humana PPO members to access University of Chicago facilities and physicians without a referral."

The agreement covers Humana's commercial, non-Medicare health insurance plans. Humana currently serves more than 350,000 commercial health plan members in Illinois.

About University of Chicago Hospitals and Health System
Established in 1890 in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood, the University of Chicago is one of the world's great centers of learning. Eleven of the University's 77 Nobel Prize winners were selected for their work in physiology or medicine. Scientists and physicians at the Medical Center have contributed to all fields of biomedical research. The University of Chicago Hospitals (www.uchospitals.edu) is routinely selected as one of the best in the United States in multiple surveys.

About Humana
Humana Inc., headquartered in Louisville, Ky., is one of the nation's largest publicly traded health benefits companies, with more than 11 million medical members. Humana offers a diversified portfolio of health insurance products and related services--through traditional and consumer-choice plans--to employer groups, government-sponsored plans, and individuals.

Over its 45-year history, Humana has consistently seized opportunities to meet changing customer needs. Today, the company is a leader in consumer engagement, providing guidance that leads to lower costs and a better health plan experience throughout its diversified customer portfolio.

More information regarding Humana is available to investors via the Investor Relations page of the company's web site at http://www.humana.com, including copies of:

  • Annual report to stockholders;
  • Securities and Exchange Commission filings;
  • Most recent investor conference presentation;
  • Quarterly earnings news releases;
  • Replays of most recent earnings release conference call;
  • Calendar of events (includes upcoming earnings conference call dates, times, and access number, as well as planned interaction with research analysts and institutional investors);
  • Corporate Governance Information.