INScompanies Blog

MOLINE, IL (February 24, 2006) - Deere & Company said today that it has closed the sale of the company’s health care operations to UnitedHealthcare of Minneapolis, Minnesota. The transaction was announced by both companies in December 2005.

Deere said it sold John Deere Health Care, Inc., to UnitedHealthcare for about $500 million in cash and the transaction will result in a second quarter gain of approximately $350 million pretax or $225 million after-tax.

Deere had been in the managed health care business since creating the subsidiary in 1985. Deere said United is expected to rename John Deere Health Care, Inc. and its subsidiaries within one month and transition away from using the John Deere brand within one year.

Ken Golden
Manager, Public Relations
Deere & Company
309-765-5678
http://www.uhcrivervalley 

Individuals in plans connected to Health Savings Accounts or Health Reimbursement Accounts increased 75 percent from June 2005
Consumer activation programs are being deployed across 2.7 million individuals, including approximately 1 million enrolled in traditional medical benefit plans

MINNEAPOLIS (June 8, 2006) – UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) today announced that membership in its consumer-driven health (CDH) plans has surpassed 1.75 million people. This growth reinforces the company’s position in striving to transform the health care system to one driven by more informed and empowered consumers, helped by consumer support tools that facilitate a new and more transparent health care market

UnitedHealth Group continues to be a leader in the advancement of health plans connected to a Health Savings Account (HSA) or Health Reimbursement Account (HRA). Membership is growing at a rapid pace across employers of all sizes as well as in the individual market. Consumers in plans connected to HSAs or HRAs increased 75 percent from June 2005, with more than 750,000 new individuals participating in the past year. About 60 percent of the CDH membership selected the plan even when their employers also offered more traditional, non-CDH options, further illustrating that consumers are driving this rapid growth through strong interest in account-based plans.

“Consumers are becoming much more comfortable with account-based plan designs,” said Mike Tarino, CEO of Definity Health, the UnitedHealth Group business that manages consumer-driven plans and activation strategies. “More than 13,000 employers have already turned to us to incorporate a consumerdriven plan design into their benefits strategy, and our CDH membership among large, national employers alone recently topped 1 million.”

Activation Programs Are Key
Tarino attributes the continued strong interest and enrollment in consumer-driven plans in large part to the activation programs pioneered by Definity Health, which include personalized health messaging, monthly health statements and health coaching. These strategies are tailored to each individual consumer, preparing them to take informed action, making it easier to navigate the health care system, enhancing their ability to focus on healthy lifestyles, and maximizing the value they receive for their health care dollars.

UnitedHealth Group is also extending these activation programs to enrollees in non-CDH plans, creating a more consumer-centric approach among participants in all types of health benefit programs. Already, approximately 1 million consumers in non-CDH plans are receiving a deeper and more personal level of support on their health care decisions through these efforts, effectively enabling behavior change and creating a simpler experience for any health care consumer, regardless of plan design.

Definity’s activation programs are producing tangible changes in the health care behaviors of consumers. For example, the personalized messaging program, which delivers personally relevant health messages through multiple formats, has found that consumers who read their personalized messages show:
• 240 percent higher rates of mammography
• 31 percent increase in the use of pill-splitting
• 100 percent increase in the use of mail order pharmacy services

These and other early results indicate that unique and integrated programs that help people get to the appropriate care provider and pursue the optimum intervention positively impact their health care outcomes, as well as related costs.

“More and more individuals and employers are realizing that they can influence positive changes in consumer health through innovative approaches like these,” Tarino said. “Engaging and activating consumers can drive significantly higher levels of awareness about affordability, accessibility and quality, and we believe strongly that those benefits should not be limited just to individuals in HRA and HSA plans.”

UnitedHealth Group companies currently serve 710,000 members enrolled in HSAs as well as 1,045,000 HRA enrollees. Approximately one-third of the large and mid-size employers served by UnitedHealth Group offer one of the company’s consumer-driven health plans, a strong indication that a consumer approach to health care is quickly becoming the mainstream.

CDHP consumers more likely to make active and informed decisions about their own health and health care needs
Increased use of preventive care services seen among CDHP members as compared to PPO
enrollees

Minneapolis (July 12, 2006) – A UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) study has found that individuals in consumer-driven health plans (CDHPs) are more likely to be actively engaged in managing their health and making health care decisions than individuals in more traditional arrangements. While the study sample remains relatively small because of the recent introduction of CDHPs, it is the largest study to date, covering a three-year period and examining more than 50,000 individuals. The results provide solid and measurable examples of how health care spending and consumer behavior can be positively advanced – without adverse effects on health outcomes – when consumers are given the necessary support.

“These results reinforce the revolutionary impact that the concept of consumerism is having by providing vehicles to effectively transfer knowledge and wealth to consumers so they can make wiser, more financially sound decisions about their health care,” said Mike Tarino, CEO of Definity Health, a UnitedHealth Group company and pioneer in consumer-driven health care.

The CDHP study compares cost and utilization trends among approximately 40,000 individuals in highdeductible plans connected to Health Reimbursement Accounts (HRAs) to data from roughly 15,000 individuals enrolled in preferred provider organizations (PPOs). The study period was between 2003 and 2005 and consisted of two sample groups drawn from the same employers. This new data reinforces the results of earlier Definity and UnitedHealth Group studies, which have consistently shown that CDHP enrollees have higher usage of preventive care services and lower tendency to pursue discretionary acute care services.

Notable findings from the three-year study include:

• Preventive Care – In each of the three years, up to 5 percent more of the CDHP members sought preventive care services than did PPO enrollees.

• Acute Care – Individuals enrolled in a CDHP showed an annual reduction in the use of acute care services (22 percent fewer hospital admissions and 14 percent fewer emergency room visits) without adverse health effects or outcomes, while the relative utilization of those services actually increased year-over-year among PPO members.

• Chronically Ill – CDHP enrollees with a chronic illness also used acute services less (8 percent fewer hospital admissions and 12 percent fewer emergency room visits) but continued to visit their primary care physician at the same rate as chronically ill members enrolled in traditional plans.

• Overall Costs – Costs per member decreased 3 percent to 5 percent in the CDH plan over the 2004-2005 period, as compared to their 2003 baseline level, while increasing 8 percent to 10 percent among PPO participants (after adjusting for demographics, health status, plan design impact and geography).

“While not yet conclusive, these findings support what we’ve seen anecdotally for the past several years: when consumers are given more information and responsibility for their health care, they will make efforts to assume more control over decision-making about the care they need in order to pursue the optimum courses of treatment. This in turn can help positively impact their health care outcomes and related costs,” Tarino said.

Saving Today for Tomorrow’s Expenses
Further UnitedHealth Group research found that consumers with Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) are contributing to their accounts and accumulating money for future health care expenses at higher rates than had been previously anticipated.

The HSA research is based on data from 130,000 members who have opened an HSA with UnitedHealth Group’s Exante Bank, the industry’s largest HSA administrator. The study found:

• The average balance in an Exante HSA is $1,112.00 for accounts that were opened January- March 2005, illustrating that consumers are building savings for future health expenses through these accounts.

• Approximately 60 percent of employers provide funding to their employees’ HSAs, and on
average employers are funding 40 percent of the employees’ health insurance policy deductibles.

• Nearly 90 percent of employees open the savings account if their employer offers to contribute funding to their HSA.
Jeff Cava, executive vice president of Human Resources and Administration for the Wendy’s restaurant chain, said employees at his company are saving more than many anticipated. Wendy’s began offering HSAs in 2005, and by the end of the year employees had accumulated a collective $4 million in their accounts. “We took money that used to go to a third-party payer to help pay health claims, and gave it to employees who will use it to offset their health care costs,” he said. “How many other companysponsored health plans are there that transfer wealth?”

Across UnitedHealth Group, more than 1.75 million individuals are now enrolled in a consumer-driven health plan connected to an HRA or HSA, spanning both the commercial and individual markets. More than 14,000 employers offer a CDHP through a UnitedHealth Group company, and membership sponsored by large, national employers recently topped 1 million individuals.
Contact: Mark Lindsay
Director, Public
952-992-4297
www.definityhealth.com

MIAMI, FL - July 1, 2005 - UnitedHealthcare and Neighborhood Health Partnership (NHP) announced today the signing of an agreement under which NHP will merge with UnitedHealthcare, a business unit of UnitedHealth Group. NHP is a privately-owned health plan serving approximately 135,000 residents, primarily in Miami-Dade County, and with customers in Broward and Palm Beach counties.

Completion of the merger is subject to regulatory approvals which are expected to take approximately 90 days. The purchase price for NHP was not disclosed.

Dan Rosenthal, CEO of UnitedHealthcare’s South Florida health plan, said of the merger, “Both NHP and UnitedHealthcare are focused on providing optimum access to quality, affordable health care. NHP is widely respected for its strong sense of community and the way that it responds to the needs of the people it serves. We appreciate and applaud that commitment, and look forward to the continuing leadership NHP will provide our combined companies in this regard. The deep relationships that NHP has with physicians, hospitals and other providers of health care services in this community are also noteworthy and an attribute we intend to build on in the future. In addition, the quality of NHP’s customer service and products are highly complementary to the strengths UnitedHealthcare has demonstrated in the South Florida marketplace.” Rosenthal concluded that “All of these elements will allow UnitedHealthcare and NHP to work effectively together and respond in an even more positive fashion to the unique health and well-being needs of South Florida and its diverse communities.”

Joseph R. Papa, chairman and CEO of NHP, said, “This merger will allow NHP in the future to offer to its loyal customers the tremendous set of resources available from UnitedHealthcare. Those we serve will have access to a broad array of services outside of our immediate area – such as a health care network of more than 460,000 physicians and health care professionals and 4,200 hospitals nationwide. In addition, our customers will have access to products that can supplement our outstanding local health care services with access to premier centers of clinical excellence for complex, critical health issues such as organ transplants and cancer treatments, should they be needed. UnitedHealthcare’s investments in technology will provide our customers with a simplified administrative experience coupled with useful services such as information on health care costs, best treatment options, and portable electronic personal health records. These features will help us to truly be a consumer-focused company.”

UnitedHealthcare’s South Florida health plan has been a part of Miami-Dade County for nearly 30 years, and serves approximately 400,000 customers in Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Martin counties. It offers employers of all sizes a broad portfolio of employee benefit plans, including consumer directed health plans (which include health savings accounts or health reimbursement accounts).

About Neighborhood Health Partnership
NHP is an HMO licensed by the State of Florida and currently operates in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties. Born out of a coalition between Dimension Physician Hospital Organization and John Alden Insurance, it has been in operation since 1994. In July of 2002, NHP was acquired by private interests from the former provider owners and has grown to become the largest HMO operating in Miami-Dade County since that time. NHP has its principal offices at 7600 Corporate Center Drive in Miami.

www.mynhp.com

MIAMI, FL - April 26, 2005 - In a joint statement, Preferred Care Partners (”Preferred Care”) and Neighborhood Health Partnership (”NHP”) announced today that they have signed a Definitive Agreement in which Preferred Care will acquire the Medicare business of NHP. This transaction will require the approval of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (”CMS”) and both organizations project a possible effective date of June 1, 2005. The transaction will make Preferred Care the largest privately-owned Medicare Advantage Health Plan in South Florida. NHP will continue to operate its Commercial HMO business in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties.

Mr. Joseph L. Caruncho, Chief Executive Officer of Preferred Care Partners Holding Corp., the parent company of Preferred Care stated that “this acquisition enables us to offer our innovative PSO model to a wider cross section of Medicare beneficiaries in the South Florida Market. We intend to continue the course set by NHP of providing a high level of service to both members and providers.” For NHP members transitioning over to Preferred Care Partners, the change will be seamless and their benefits will remain unchanged for 2005. This acquisition covers all 38,000 members currently enrolled with NHP’s Medicare Advantage program and will bring Preferred Care’s membership to more than 45,000, once it is effective.

Mr. Joseph R. Papa, NHP’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer stated that “Preferred Care shares our long standing commitment to both seniors and physicians in South Florida, so I know that Preferred Care will continue to provide the type of service and commitment to our members that they have become accustomed to in the past. At a time when specialization by regional managed care plans is more prevalent than ever, this transaction will provide NHP with additional capital resources to focus on an aggressive growth plan for its Commercial business, particularly in Broward and Palm Beach counties while Preferred Care will continue to service and grow a robust Medicare membership in the same region.” Both Caruncho and Papa agree that this will be a positive move forward for both organizations, as well as their members and providers.

“This will be a smooth transition with a continued commitment to being a low hassle partner for physicians and members,” said Justo Luis Pozo, President of Preferred Care. “Our success has been based on empowering physicians, and this transaction will not change that commitment” said Dr. Orlando Lopez-Fernandez, Chief Medical Officer of Preferred Care.

Preferred Care Partners has partnered with Ferrer Freeman & Co., a private equity firm located in Greenwich, CT, that invests exclusively in healthcare and healthcare-related companies, to consummate the acquisition.

Preferred Care is a Provider Sponsored Health Plan contracted with CMS to offer Medicare Advantage plans to Medicare beneficiaries in the South Florida market. Its unique PSO model focuses on empowering physicians to make clinical decisions for their patients in a manner that reduces costly administration. Since beginning operations as a Medicare Advantage Plan in 2002, the Company has seen significant growth and was named the fastest growing, privately held company in South Florida by the South Florida Business Journal. Its principal offices are located at One Datran Center, 9100 S. Dadeland Blvd., Suite 1250, Miami, Florida.

NHP is an HMO licensed by the State of Florida and currently operates in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties. Born out of a coalition between Dimension Physician Hospital Organization and John Alden Insurance, it has been in operation since 1994. In July of 2002, NHP was acquired by private interests from the former provider owners and has grown to become the largest HMO operating in Miami-Dade County since that time. NHP has its principal offices at 7600 Corporate Center Drive in Miami.

http://www.mynhp.com

HSA pioneer joins with Exante Bank to enhance long term savings potential, expand consumer choices and ease of using health savings account

Indianapolis, IN (August 8, 2006) - UnitedHealthcare’s Golden Rule Insurance Company, pioneer of health savings accounts (HSAs) in the individual market, today announced that it has begun offering its HSA customers a broad selection of high-quality mutual fund investment options as well as an innovative debit card and online account management and bill paying services through Exante Bank.

Golden Rule helped pave the way for HSAs when it introduced the first medical savings account more than a decade ago. More than 41 percent of Golden Rule’s customers currently are covered by health insurance plans that include health savings accounts. As of June 30, 2006, these customers had accumulated more than $170 million in their health savings accounts; the average account balance exceeded $2,400.

With Exante Bank serving as custodian, Golden Rule HSA customers earn 4 percent to 5 percent interest on their FDIC-insured accounts. Once the balance in their health savings account reaches $2,000, customers now have the option to invest any amount in excess of $2,000 in a choice of eight no-load mutual funds, all of which have a Morningstar rating of 4-Stars or higher.

New online account management tools mean that Golden Rule HSA customers also can monitor and change their investments at any time, check balances, pay bills and withdraw funds. The customer, at no charge, can set up automated recurring mutual fund purchases to occur whenever the account balance exceeds $2,000.

Moreover, the Exante MasterCard® Prepaid Debit Card provides Golden Rule customers with multiple ways to access their HSA funds, including use at participating pharmacies and doctors’ offices or through ATM withdrawals. In addition to the debit card and online bill paying features, customers can use wire transfers as well as a more traditional checkbook if they choose.

“The mutual fund options greatly enhance the long-term savings potential for our HSA customers, while other new consumer-friendly capabilities expand consumers’ choices and the ease of using their HSA,” Golden Rule CEO Rich Collins said.

Collins said that the application process is a seamless one for consumers, and that HSA deposits are set up on the same payment plan as premiums for the Golden Rule health insurance coverage.

“Our experience shows that customers are saving for current and future health care needs as Congress intended when it passed enabling legislation for HSAs,” Collins added. “Today’s announcement is the next step in giving consumers additional tools and resources to manage their own health care spending.”

Health savings accounts pair a high-deductible health insurance plan with a tax-advantaged savings account. Because HSA plan premiums typically cost significantly less than more traditional health insurance plans, consumers can place some or all of the money saved on premiums into the savings account that can be invested and withdrawn to pay the insurance deductible and other qualified medical expenses. Unspent dollars in a health savings account accumulate year over year, and earn interest like an IRA. The consumer owns the HSA account and decides when to save and when to spend.

Importantly, HSAs offer triple tax advantages: Contributions to health savings accounts go in taxdeductible, grow tax-deferred and can be withdrawn tax-free as long as they are used for qualified medical expenses including vision and dental services.

For more information about Golden Rule HSAs, consumers can call 1-800-974-4472, visit http://www.goldenrule.com or contact an insurance broker who offers Golden Rule health plans.

Short Term MedicalSM bridges the gaps in coverage between jobs, and for recent graduates, students not covered by parents plans, early retirees

INDIANAPOLIS (March 14, 2006) - As a nurse, Sandra D’Annunzio of Sterling Heights, Michigan knows just how costly medical care can be. That’s why the working mother turned to Golden Rule short term health insurance for her two young adult daughters who were no longer eligible for coverage under her plan. “It’s all about peace of mind,” D’Annunzio said. “Injury and illness can happen to anyone at any age. No one is immune.”

Golden Rule Insurance Company, a UnitedHealthcare company and leader in the individual insurance market for 60 years, today introduced its newest generation Short Term Medical plan to fill in gaps in coverage for individuals and families in times of transition and change.

With Golden Rule’s new Short Term Medical, consumers can opt for one to six months of coverage and also choose from a range of deductibles and payment options that best meets their individual needs. Customers also have the flexibility to drop the plans at any time without penalty or to apply for another one to six months of coverage.

In addition, UnitedHealthcare’s comprehensive national network of health care professional and facilities provides substantial discounts on medical services.

“We designed an affordable, easy-to-understand plan with a simple, quick application process because we know that life circumstances change,” Golden Rule CEO Rich Collins said. “Peace of mind comes from knowing that you and your family are protected regardless of your temporary situation.”

Independent insurance broker Bob Brow of HealthQuotes USA, who recommended Golden Rule Short Term Medical to D’Annunzio, agrees. “Anyone can break a leg or have a medical emergency and suddenly be facing $10,000 in bills,” he explained. “This can be financially devastating to someone just out of school or in between jobs, especially when you realize that affordable temporary health insurance was available.”

Brow, who’s based in Zionsville, Ind., but is licensed to offer health insurance in 20 states, said that 20 percent of his customers have purchased temporary health insurance. He recommends short term plans to recent graduates looking for work or students dropping off their parents plans, workers between jobs who find COBRA coverage too costly, early retirees waiting for Medicare eligibility and others whose lives are in times of transition.

As UnitedHealthcare’s individual insurance provider, Golden Rule offers health savings account (HSA) plans, other high deductible plans and traditional copay plans in addition to Short Term Medical. “Saver” options within many of the plans feature Golden Rule’s lowest premiums for consumers who previously thought they couldn’t afford health insurance.

Golden Rule helped pioneer the HSA which combines a high deductible insurance plan with a tax-favored savings account. Golden Rule customers typically save 45 to 55 percent or more in premiums by choosing a health savings account plan over a more traditional plan. In addition, HSAs offer triple tax advantages: the savings are tax deductible when deposited, grow tax deferred and can be withdrawn tax free as long as they are used for qualified medical expenses including vision and dental.

Today, 40 percent of health plans purchased from Golden Rule throughout the country are HSAs and its customers have accumulated more than $155 million in their tax-advantaged savings accounts.

Golden Rule currently does health insurance business in 28 states and is rated “A” (Excellent) by A.M. Best, and “A+” (Strong) by Standard & Poor’s, independent rankings that indicate financial strength and stability. In addition, for eight consecutive years, Golden Rule has been ranked by Ward Group as one of the 50 Life-Health top-performing companies that have done the best job of balancing financial safety, consistency, and performance over the past five years.

For more information about Golden Rule Short Term Medical and other quality health insurance plans, consumers can call 1-800-974-4472, visit http://www.goldenrule.com or contact a local insurance broker who offers Golden Rule health plans.

June 1, 2005 - Just 18 months after health savings accounts (HSAs) became available by law, Golden Rule Insurance Company today said that 40 percent of its customers are choosing an HSA over more traditional health insurance plans.

Golden Rule, a UnitedHealthcare company and a leader in the individual health insurance market, also confirmed that its customers have accumulated more than $132 million in their tax-advantaged savings accounts – strong evidence that the accounts are working the way HSA proponents intended they would.

According to Golden Rule Vice President of Health Products Mike Corne, “HSAs have moved into the mainstream.

“Millions of hard-working Americans are looking for affordable health insurance coverage for themselves and their families, and we see interest rising as more consumers hear and learn about how HSA plans work,” he said.

Corne added that continuing product innovations, such as Golden Rule’s budget-friendly HSA Saver introduced in February of this year, make HSA plans attractive and accessible to an even broader range of consumers. For example, a young family of four living in Ohio or Arizona or Michigan who chooses a Golden Rule Saver HSA plan with a $5,250 annual family deductible might have a monthly base premium of well under $200.

HSAs pair a lower-cost high deductible insurance plan with a tax-favored savings account. Money saved on the reduced insurance premiums can be placed into the savings account and withdrawn tax free to pay the insurance deductible and other qualified medical expenses, including vision and dental care.

Other key features that are making HSAs popular:

Unspent HSA savings accumulate year after year and even earn interest. Golden Rule currently pays its customers 4 percent annual interest on their savings, very competitive with rates paid today on most savings accounts .
Contributions to an HSA are 100% tax deductible up to the legal limit; savings accumulate tax deferred and, if withdrawn to pay qualified medical expenses, are tax free.
Consumers own their HSA and make the decisions how and when to spend their savings dollars. HSAs are portable and go with consumers if they change jobs, move or leave the workforce.

Golden Rule pioneered the Medical Savings Account, predecessor to the HSA, 12 years ago and began offering HSAs as soon as the law allowed on January 1, 2004. Golden Rule has offered individual and family health insurance plans for 60 years and became a UnitedHealthcare company late in 2003. UnitedHealthcare also offers HSA products to employers of all sizes who also are seeking to reduce health insurance costs.

For more information on health savings accounts, visit http://www.goldenrule.com or call 1-800-974-4472.

Minneapolis – June 19, 2006 -UnitedHealthcare, a UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) company, has introduced UnitedHealthcare Benchmark SolutionsSM – a new suite of affordable, consumer-centric health plans designed specifically to meet the needs of small-business owners, who rank medical costs as their No. 1 concern.

Small-business owners who take advantage of UnitedHealthcare Benchmark Solutions can offer employees affordable health care, as well as put access to important health care tools at their employees’ fingertips.  All Benchmark Solutions plans include access to UnitedHealthcare’s useful, practical tools, incentives and services that give members up-to-date information about their plan, as well as the ability to more actively participate in programs that help improve their health and well-being. UnitedHealthcare members have access to a range of personal and online connections that include individualized, personal health coaching; easy-to-use cost and quality information for physicians and hospitals; health statements that incorporate plan transactions and account information; and access to the largest national network of health care professionals and facilities.

Developed for individuals and for small businesses that employ 2 – 99 employees, Benchmark Solutions offers small-business owners a menu of affordable health plan choices ranging from traditional benefits to consumer-driven health plans that provide a new, alternative approach to health care. The suite of plans includes access to the increasingly popular health savings accounts (HSAs) and health reimbursement accounts (HRAs) that provide an opportunity for consumers to take greater control of their health care and make the best use of health care dollars with savings and investment options.

“At UnitedHealthcare, we listened to our small-business customers who told us they want affordable health plans that offer flexibility and choice,” said Simeon Schindelman, president of UnitedHealthcare’s Small Business Group. “We tailored a solution that meets their unique needs by incorporating a variety of affordable plan choices, including HSAs and HRAs that employers can match to their business priorities.”
 
Current market data show the demand by employers for consumer-driven health plans is increasing. A recent study by the Kaiser Family Foundation and Health Research Education Trust indicates that the total market for consumer-driven health plans has tripled since the beginning of 2004; enrollment for 2006 is expected to reach 5 million to 10 million members and is projected to reach 40 million by 2010.

“For years, UnitedHealthcare has made significant investments designed to improve the quality, affordability and accessibility of health care,” said Schindelman. “Integrating innovative, advanced technology and streamlined business processes has resulted in a proven and sustainable pattern of performance in lowering administrative costs, while maintaining comprehensive, robust health care benefits. Our experience in offering affordable health care for millions of consumers has given us the foresight and agility to create this suite of plans. We believe Benchmark Solutions addresses a critical need today and anticipates future needs of small-business owners.”

unitedhealthcaregroup.com

MINNEAPOLIS (2/24/06) - We are pleased to announce that UnitedHealthcare’s acquisition of John Deere Health Care has been formally completed, setting the stage to make a broad range of health care services more affordable, more accessible and easier to use.

Our goal is to blend the best of both companies, creating numerous benefits for our customers, physicians, other health care providers, and all of the people we jointly serve.

This transaction expands UnitedHealthcare’s presence in Iowa, Central and Western Illinois, Tennessee, and Southwest Virginia. John Deere Health Care customers benefit from UnitedHealthcare’s strong national network, consumer product innovations, superior technology applications, and business services to the markets served by John Deere Health Care.

Combining exceptional local health plans with the high quality regional and national networks meets an important need. We look forward to providing innovative solutions to the health care marketplace.

unitedhealthcaregroup.com