Humana to Participate in Illinois Cares Rx for 2008

Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM) announced today that it will participate in Illinois Cares Rx, the State of Illinois’ pharmacy assistance program, beginning in 2008. That means people eligible for Medicare and Illinois Cares Rx can now enroll in most Humana Medicare plans and receive additional financial assistance for prescription drugs. The enrollment period for 2008 Medicare plans begins Nov. 15. "More than 200,000 people with Medicare depend on Illinois Cares Rx to help them afford prescription medications, and many have told us they wanted Humana as an option,” said Rob Hitchcock, vice president of Medicare operations in Humana’s 26-state Western Division. "Now Medicare beneficiaries can choose from Humana’s wide range of Medicare plan offerings and still enjoy additional assistance from Illinois Cares Rx.” Illinois Cares Rx is a state-funded program providing financial assistance for prescription drugs to low-income individuals. Illinois Cares Rx "wraps around” the Medicare prescription drug benefit to fill gaps in coverage, helping pay prescription drug expenses that Medicare does not cover. To get Illinois Cares Rx, Medicare beneficiaries must be enrolled in a stand-alone Medicare prescription drug plan (PDP) or Medicare Advantage plan with prescription drug coverage (MAPD) that coordinates with Illinois Cares Rx, as Humana will in 2008. In 2008, Humana’s basic stand-alone prescription drug plan (PDP), Humana Standard, will coordinate with Illinois Cares Rx, as will most of Humana’s Medicare Advantage plans with prescription drug coverage (MAPD), including: Humana Gold HMO in Cook and Northern Will counties, Humana Choice PPO, and Humana Gold Choice private-fee-for service. Humana Gold HMO in Kane and Kendall counties and Humana’s special needs plan for those with osteoarthritis will not participate in Illinois Cares Rx. More than 10,000 current Humana members are eligible for Illinois Cares Rx, and most need take no action to remain on their current plan and begin receiving the benefits of the state program. However, some Humana members will need to re-apply for Illinois Cares Rx if they have not already done so, and Humana will communicate with those members to let them know how and when to re-apply. Additionally, all current Illinois Cares Rx participants will receive a mailing from the state with information on the program for 2008. In order to participate in Illinois Cares Rx, people with Medicare are required to enroll in a Medicare plan with prescription drug coverage (MAPD or PDP) and apply for the federal low income subsidy. To be eligible for Illinois Cares Rx, Medicare beneficiaries must have an annual income of no more than $22,793 for one person or $30,594 for two people. Under Illinois Cares Rx, Medicare beneficiaries pay the following out-of-pocket co-payments for prescription drugs: $2.25 for generic drugs, $5.60 for preferred brand name drugs, $15.00 for non-preferred brand name drugs and specialty drugs, and 20% of the cost of each prescription, plus the appropriate co-payment, after Medicare and Illinois Cares Rx pays $2,510 in benefits. For more information about enrolling in any Humana Medicare plan, visit www.humana-medicare.com or call toll free 1-800-833-6578. For answers to questions about Illinois Cares Rx, visit www.illinoiscaresrx.com or call one of the following: Health Benefits Hotline at 1-800-226-0768 or 1-866-675-8440 (TTY) Senior Helpline at 1-800-252-8966 or 1-888-206-1327 (TTY) Senior Health Insurance Program (SHIP) at 1-800-548-9034 or 217-524-4872 (TTY) About Humana Humana Inc., headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, is one of the nation’s largest publicly traded health benefits companies, with approximately 11.3 million medical members, including more than 450,000 in Illinois. Humana offers a diversified portfolio of health insurance products and related services – through traditional and consumer-choice plans – to employer groups, government-sponsored plans, and individuals. Over its 46-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.