UnitedHealthcare and HCA Reach New, Long-Term, National Agreement

UnitedHealthcare, a UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) company, and HCA Inc. (NYSE:HCA), today announced a new long-term nationwide agreement. The agreement provides United members access to HCA facilities, covers members into 2011 and recognizes HCA’s and United’s ongoing commitment to quality and accessibility. "Our renewed relationship with HCA will provide quality, affordable health care for the people we serve,” said David Wichmann, president and chief operating officer of UnitedHealthcare. "We arrived at an agreement that will advance quality, ease administration and maintain affordability. While the past few months have been challenging for many of our members, we are pleased that this new contract will offer not only long-term stability for customers, but also reinforces our commitment to quality for our members.” The new contract extends access to over 150 of HCA’s hospitals and over 100 diagnostic and treatment centers across the country. It covers UnitedHealthcare and all commercial affiliates – including Mid-Atlantic Medical Services, PacifiCare, and Neighborhood Health Partnership – and Medicare business, including Secure Horizons. Effective immediately, United members have access to all HCA-owned facilities in Denver, South Florida and Tampa, including HealthONE imaging centers. The new agreement will also allow access for UnitedHealthcare members in four new markets by the end of 2006, including Kansas City, Mo., the Florida Panhandle, Nevada and Frankfort, Ky. "HCA offers the country’s most extensive and diverse network of hospitals, diagnostic and treatment centers. The patients and employers in the communities we serve prefer to have access to these facilities,” said Richard M. Bracken, President and Chief Operating Officer of HCA. "We are pleased to have reached an agreement with United on terms that allow us to provide high quality, technologically-advanced and compassionate care.” About HCA HCA Inc. is a holding company whose affiliates own and operate hospitals and related health care entities. The term "affiliates" includes direct and indirect subsidiaries of HCA Inc. and partnerships and joint ventures in which such subsidiaries are partners. At September 30, 2006, these affiliates owned and operated 172 hospitals, 95 freestanding surgery centers and facilities which provided extensive outpatient and ancillary services. Affiliates of HCA Inc. are also partners in joint ventures that own and operate seven hospitals and nine freestanding surgery centers which are accounted for using the equity method. The Company's facilities are located in 21 states, England and Switzerland. About UnitedHealthcare UnitedHealthcare (www.unitedhealthcare.com) provides a full spectrum of consumer-oriented health benefit plans and services, helping approximately 25 million individual consumers nationwide achieve improved health and well-being through various health service systems. UnitedHealthcare arranges access to quality, affordable care with more than 500,000 physicians and care professionals and 4,600 hospitals across America. UnitedHealthcare is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group, a diversified Fortune 50 health and well-being company.