Linda Tiano Named President, Regional Health Plans, Health Net of the Northeast

Health Net, Inc. (NYSE:HNT) today announced the appointment of Linda Tiano as president, Regional Health Plans, Health Net of the Northeast. In this newly created position, Tiano, 52, will lead the efforts for the Northeast operations under the agreement with UnitedHealthcare and report to Jim Woys, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Health Net, Inc.

On December 11, 2009, UnitedHealthcare, a UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) company, and Health Net, Inc. announced that UnitedHealthcare had completed the previously announced acquisition of Health Net of the Northeast’s licensed subsidiaries and the rights to renew Health Net’s membership in Connecticut, New York and New Jersey.

"Linda will be based in Connecticut and lead the efforts of the Northeast operations per our agreements with UnitedHealthcare,” said Woys. "Linda will work with the local management team to continue to provide excellent customer service for our members during this transition.”

Paul Lambdin, president, Health Net of the Northeast, who has been instrumental in closing the Northeast transaction, will continue with Health Net during the first quarter of 2010 to support Tiano and to ensure a smooth transition of our membership to UnitedHealthcare.

Tiano has served as Health Net, Inc. senior vice president, general counsel and secretary since January 2007. Prior to joining Health Net, she was the senior vice present and general counsel for WellChoice, Inc., the parent of Empire Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New York. Following WellChoice’s acquisition by WellPoint, Inc. in late 2005, she was vice president and deputy general counsel for the East Region and National Accounts for WellPoint. Before WellChoice, Tiano was vice president and general counsel of MVP Health Plan in New York and, prior to MVP was a partner in the New York office of Epstein Becker & Green.

Tiano, a member of the New York Bar, earned her J.D. from Boston University Law School and her bachelor’s degree from the University of Cincinnati.

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.

Cautionary Statements

All statements in this press release, other than statements of historical information provided herein, may be deemed to be forward-looking statements and as such are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. These statements are based on management’s analysis, judgment, belief and expectation only as of the date hereof, and are subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances. Without limiting the foregoing, statements including the words "believes,” "anticipates,” "plans,” "expects,” "may,” "should,” "could,” "estimate,” "intend” and other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Actual results could differ materially due to, among other things, any failure to close the pending sale of our Northeast business; costs, fees and expenses related to the pending sale and proposed post-closing administrative services; potential termination of our TRICARE North operations; rising health care costs; a continued decline in the economy; negative prior period claims reserve developments; investment portfolio impairment charges; volatility in the financial markets; trends in medical care ratios; unexpected utilization patterns or unexpectedly severe or widespread illnesses; membership declines; rate cuts affecting our Medicare or Medicaid businesses; litigation costs; regulatory issues; operational issues; health care reform; and general business and market conditions. Additional factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the risks discussed in the "Risk Factors” section included within the company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and the risks discussed in the company’s other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly revise any of its forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that arise after the date of this release.