Health Net Reminds Medicare Beneficiaries They Can Count on Health Affordability and Value with Company’s 2010 Medicare Advantage Health Plans

With the kick-off of the Medicare Annual Election Period (AEP) this week, Health Net, Inc. (NYSE:HNT) reminds those eligible for Medicare that Health Net’s Medicare Advantage (MA) product portfolio offers a comprehensive range of budget-friendly health plan choices to beneficiaries for 2010.

"The current challenging economic conditions make it the right time for Medicare beneficiaries to join one of Health Net’s Medicare Advantage plans because of the cost savings and value they offer,” said Scott Kelly, chief Medicare officer of Health Net, Inc. "We want them to know that they can count on Health Net to provide them with quality health care benefits with low predictable costs.”

Salud con Health Net Medicare Advantage HMO (Salud Medicare)

In California, Health Net launched Salud Medicare, the first-of-its-kind Medicare Advantage HMO plan targeting Latino seniors. With this plan, Latino seniors and other Medicare eligibles can count on quality, affordable care from a network of culturally sensitive health care providers who are Latino or are trained and experienced in providing medical care that recognizes the special needs of Latinos.

Building on Health Net’s popular suite of Salud con Health Net products currently available to employers and individuals, this new, comprehensive medical and prescription drug plan is offered in the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino.

Healthy Heart HMO Plans Going Strong

Health Net continues to offer its successful and affordable Healthy Heart MA HMO plans in California. In Arizona, they are known as Health Net Ruby plans. These plans are designed to support the American Heart Association’s heart healthy lifestyle and include comprehensive medical and prescription drug coverage, plus health essentials to help members avoid tobacco use; manage stress, blood pressure and high cholesterol; and promote nutrition, weight management and physical activity. As with all Health Net Medicare products, these plans also include access to Decision Power^SM, Health Net’s program of online and on-call support and resources to directly involve members with their doctors in making health care and healthy lifestyle decisions. Similar plans also are offered in Oregon.

Other 2010 Product Portfolio Highlights

Additional highlights of Health Net’s national Medicare Advantage and Part D product offerings include the following:

• Nationwide, Health Net again will offer Medicare Prescription Drug Plan stand-alone coverage (referred to as Part D).
• In Oregon, beneficiaries can enroll in Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) MA plans that offer beneficiaries freedom, flexibility and value.
• The introduction of a new HMO MA "Ruby” plan for beneficiaries in Arizona that has a $0 premium with an affordable deductible.
• A focus in Connecticut is on a new HMO Point-of-Service plan, which includes a budget-friendly premium, zero copay for preventive services and the ability to see any doctor that accepts Medicare. All Connecticut hospitals are included in its MA provider network.
• Also, new this year in California is a Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) Special Needs Plan (SNP) that is offered in Riverside and San Bernardino counties in California. CHF members will receive team-based care from their physicians, with behavioral health, pharmacy services and benefits coordination provided by Health Net.

"Health Net has a long history of meeting the health care needs of seniors and people with disabilities,” said Jay Gellert, president and chief executive officer of Health Net, Inc. "We work hard to understand the needs of our Medicare members. They told us they wanted affordability, value and cost predictability. They can count on us for all three, plus quality customer service and comprehensive benefits in 2010.

To ensure that members fully understand their options, Health Net once again will hold numerous educational meetings and seminars for beneficiaries. To date, hundreds of events are scheduled. Information about Health Net’s plans is available by calling 800.903.0944, or on the Web site www.abetterdecision.com.

At the end of the third quarter of 2009, Health Net had approximately 286,000 members enrolled in Medicare Advantage Plans and 466,000 members enrolled in Medicare Part D (stand-alone) programs. Medicare Advantage is the program for Medicare managed care that includes health maintenance organization (HMO), preferred provider organization (PPO) and Private Fee-for-Service products. The Part D prescription drug program, regional PPOs, and the Special Needs Plans were created as part of the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003.

About Health Net

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 health plans and government contracts subsidiaries provide health benefits to approximately 6.6 million individuals across the country through group, individual, Medicare, Medicaid and TRICARE and Veterans Affairs programs. Health Net’s behavioral health subsidiary, MHN, provides mental health benefits to approximately 6.5 million individuals in all 50 states. 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.