LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM), through its subsidiary Humana Insurance Company, announced today the introduction of its HumanaOne® line of individual health insurance plans in Nevada. HumanaOne is designed to offer affordable health insurance coverage along with a great degree of choice, freedom and flexibility, giving individual consumers an important new alternative in Humana, one of the nation’s largest health benefits companies.

“Humana saw an opportunity to offer something of lasting value for consumers at a time when fewer employers are offering health benefits,” said Tod Zacharias, president of HumanaOne. “HumanaOne was created with the consumer in mind, and includes a variety of plan options and features meant to affordably meet the consumer’s need for individual health insurance coverage.”

HumanaOne is built to appeal to individuals and families not insured by their employer, including self-employed entrepreneurs, small business employees, part-time workers, students, early retirees and others needing affordable health insurance coverage. HumanaOne first debuted in Illinois in June of 2002 and as of November 2006, will be available in a total of 26 states – Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin.

“In many locations, there are only a handful of companies offering individual health insurance coverage, so our plan should come as welcome news for consumers,” said John Terry, vice president of sales for HumanaOne. “These plans are priced competitively to fit within the consumer’s budget.”

According to Zacharias, Humana’s size allows the company to secure volume discounts from doctors and hospitals across the nation. “Unlike many other individual health carriers, Humana most often contracts directly with physicians and other health care providers,” said Zacharias. “By owning our own networks, we can achieve greater cost savings and pass those savings along to consumers.”

HumanaOne offers the HumanaOne Individual Health Plan, an individual major medical plan, and the HumanaOne HSA-Qualified High Deductible Health Plan. These plans provide preventive care, prescription drug and emergency room coverage, as well as a choice of annual deductible. Each plan includes a range of options, enabling consumers to customize the plan to their specific needs. Optional benefits include individual term life insurance and a dental benefit insured by HumanaDental Insurance Company, Humana’s dental insurance subsidiary.

HumanaOne’s PPO arrangement allows consumers to visit any doctor or health care provider they choose, or they can receive the highest level of benefits by visiting one of the doctors, hospitals and other facilities within Humana’s network. Humana, through the ChoiceCare Network, Humana’s national PPO network, contracts with more than 300,000 health care providers in all 50 states. Humana’s national presence also means those who work or travel outside Nevada can receive in-network benefits from any contracted physician or health care provider, which is advantageous for frequent travelers, students attending college away from home and anyone who moves to a new state.

HumanaOne is marketing its individual health insurance plans through its nationwide network of approximately 25,000 actively appointed independent insurance agents and brokers. “We have longstanding and well-established relationships with insurance professionals across the country, and we are relying heavily on them to bring HumanaOne to the marketplace,” said Terry. As in other states, Humana will promote HumanaOne through advertising and direct mail campaigns in Nevada.

HumanaOne features a streamlined application process, enabling consumers to apply online or by phone. In addition, HumanaOne guarantees premium rates on all plans for one full year after purchase, provided the customer maintains the same benefits and resides within the same geographic area.

 About Humana

Humana Inc., headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, 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.

_______________________________________________________________
 
Contacts
Humana Corporate Communications
Ross McLerran, 210-617-1771
rmclerran@humana.com

© Business Wire 2006