Humana’s New National Care Center Takes Consumer-Focused Health Care To The Next Level

Elsie Macky of Grovetown, Ga., was having difficulty affording the medications that help control her chronic health conditions. Humana Cares was there to help.

A Humana Cares manager coordinated the senior’s enrollment in Right Source, Humana’s prescription home delivery service that saves her money and delivers the prescriptions right to her home.

During the holidays, Humana Medicare Advantage member Benny Lynch of Rutherfordton, N.C., needed help applying for emergency utility relief and food stamps. Again, Humana Cares was there to help.

Through its new Humana Cares program, Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM), one of the nation’s leading health-benefits companies, reaches out to Medicare Advantage members and other members experiencing multiple health conditions and everyday living challenges, and engages them with broad access to coordinated health care services that improve health and preserve independence.

Humana expanded Humana Cares today by opening a new 37,000-square-foot Humana Cares national service center at the Carillon business park in St. Petersburg.

The center, which will initially employ more than 275 associates with plans to expand its on-site staff to more than 325 by the end of 2009, provides personalized, telephonic health coaching, care management, health education and health support to improve the health and quality of life for some 30,000 Humana Medicare Advantage, low-income, disabled and Medicare/Medicaid dual-eligible members nationally.

Humana Cares also provides on-the-ground care management and health coaching through field care managers, personal nurses, social workers and community health educators to Humana members in 14 states – Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Ohio, Utah, Arizona, Illinois, Wisconsin, Texas and New Mexico. Humana Cares’ field staff resides in the 14 states and works from home.

"We are expanding our holistic approach to obtaining and maintaining maximum health and functioning,” said Jean Bisio, Humana Cares president. "We reach out to members, develop a personal relationship with them and their families, and become a life-long resource, with the shared goal of keeping members as healthy and independent as possible.”

Humana Cares’ holistic and proactive approach to health care provides support and customized coaching for the member, their spouse, family and caregiver. A Humana Cares manager does everything from reviewing medications and ensuring pharmacy and transportation needs are being met, to detecting depression or signs of dementia, to putting members and their families in touch with relevant community resources in their area.

Humana Cares has added about 100 associates locally since last fall, and is currently hiring registered nurses, social workers, community health educators and other support staff for its St. Petersburg center and in areas throughout the country.

Humana Cares clients are primarily Medicare Advantage beneficiaries with chronic health conditions, including diabetes, congestive heart failure, cancer and Alzheimer’s, as well as members with diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, Parkinson’s and multiple sclerosis.

Humana Cares is the culmination of the Green Ribbon Health Medicare Health Support pilot program, a joint venture of Humana and pharmaceutical leader Pfizer, which began in 2005 and served 20,000 Medicare Private Fee for Service beneficiaries in West Central Florida.

About Humana

Humana Inc., headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, is one of the nation’s largest publicly traded health and supplemental benefits companies, with approximately 10.6 million medical members.

Humana is a full-service benefits-solutions company, offering a wide array of health and supplementary benefit plans for employer groups, government programs and individuals.

Over its 48-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 reports to stockholders
• Securities and Exchange Commission filings
• Most recent investor conference presentations
• Quarterly earnings news releases
• Replays of most recent earnings release conference calls
• Calendar of events (includes upcoming earnings conference call dates and times, as well as planned interaction with research analysts and institutional investors)
• Corporate Governance Information