WellPoint Names Ann-Louise Kuhns as New Regional Vice President of Sta

    Business Editors/Medical Editors

    THOUSAND OAKS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 8, 2005--WellPoint, Inc. (NYSE:WLP) today announced that it has named Ann-Louise Kuhns as regional vice president of state affairs for WellPoint's Western Region. She will be responsible for advocating the company's position on legislative and regulatory matters in Sacramento and managing governmental issues in Nevada and Colorado.
    "Ann brings a rich knowledge of the regulatory and political environment," said Andrew Morrison, senior vice president of public affairs for WellPoint, Inc. "We are pleased to have her represent our organization on governmental issues in geographic areas key to WellPoint's growth."
    Kuhns most recently served as associate director of government affairs for Bristol-Myers Squibb, where she managed state government relations and directed the company's lobbying efforts in five western states. Prior to this, she was chief of the State of California's Medi-Cal Managed Care Division, where she oversaw implementation of the nation's largest Medicaid transition to managed care.
    Kuhns received a Master of Public Policy from the University of California Berkeley and a Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy from the University of Chicago.

    About WellPoint, Inc.

    WellPoint, Inc. is the largest publicly traded commercial health benefits company in terms of membership in the United States. WellPoint, Inc. is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association and serves its members as the Blue Cross licensee for California; the Blue Cross and Blue Shield licensee for Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri (excluding 30 counties in the Kansas City area), Nevada, New Hampshire, Ohio, Virginia (excluding the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C.), Wisconsin; and through HealthLink and UniCare. Additional information about WellPoint is available at www.wellpoint.com.

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CONTACT: WellPoint, Inc. James Kappel, 317-488-6400

KEYWORD: COLORADO NEVADA CALIFORNIA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: GOVERNMENT LEGAL/LAW MEDICAL INSURANCE MANAGEMENT CHANGES SOURCE: WellPoint, Inc.

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