Tenet Louisiana Signs New Two-Year Hospital Contract with Humana

    Business Editors/Health/Medical Writers

    NEW ORLEANS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 1, 2005--Tenet Louisiana today announced that it has signed a new two-year hospital agreement with Humana Health Benefit Plan of Louisiana, Inc., effective March 1, 2005. The agreement provides individuals and families enrolled in Humana's commercial medical plans and Humana Gold Plus plans (CMS MedicareAdvantage plans) access to all covered inpatient and outpatient services at Tenet's five hospitals in New Orleans. The five hospitals are Kenner Regional Medical Center, Lindy Boggs Medical Center, Meadowcrest Hospital, Memorial Medical Center and NorthShore Regional Medical Center. Financial terms of the contract were not disclosed.
    "This new contract means continued access to care for Humana members and a strong, ongoing relationship between our two companies," said Robert L. Smith, senior vice president, operations, for the Tenet Texas-Gulf Coast Region. "It also demonstrates that Tenet continues to maintain positive relationships with its managed care partners, and establishes a cooperative, mutually beneficial relationship with one of New Orleans' largest health plans."
    "I am particularly pleased that Tenet Louisiana will now be available to members of our senior product offerings, including our Medicare HMO and our newly introduced Medicare PPO," said Hassan Rifaat, M.D., president of Humana Health Benefit Plan of Louisiana, Inc. "But equally important to small and mid-size employers faced with increasing health benefit costs, Humana offers competitive and affordable choice in health benefits along with a comprehensive, statewide hospital and physician network."
    The addition of the five Tenet hospitals in New Orleans further strengthens Humana's statewide provider medical network that now offers members a choice of 81 participating hospital providers and more than 7,000 physicians throughout Louisiana.

    About the hospitals

    Kenner Regional Medical Center is a 203-bed acute care community hospital located at the corner of West Esplanade and Loyola Avenue in Kenner, La. The hospital has been serving the medical and health care needs of the Kenner and the River parishes for nearly 20 years. Kenner Regional Medical Center's services include a full-service emergency department, surgery department, hyperbaric medicine and wound care, oncology services, a Level II Neonatal Care Nursery and advanced orthopedic services. A 17-bed intensive care unit supports the hospital's cardiology program, including a catheterization laboratory and open-heart surgery program.
    Lindy Boggs Medical Center has 172 beds and is located at 301 N. Jefferson Davis Parkway in New Orleans, La. The hospital has been serving the medical and health care needs of the New Orleans community since the 1920s. Specialty areas include orthopedics, cardiology, Transplant Institute of New Orleans, diagnostic services, emergency medicine and rehabilitation.
    Meadowcrest Hospital is a 207-bed general medical and surgical acute care facility located at 2500 Belle Chase Highway in Gretna, La. Meadowcrest Hospital has been serving the medical and health care needs of the New Orleans Westbank community since 1984. The hospital offers comprehensive medical services, including cardiac catheterization, cardiovascular surgery, labor and delivery, neurosurgery, outpatient services and women's services. Meadowcrest also has a coronary intensive care unit, digestive care center and a Level III neonatal intensive care unit.
    Memorial Medical Center is a 347-bed tertiary care center located at 2700 Napoleon Avenue in New Orleans, La. The hospital has been serving the New Orleans region since 1926. Specialty services include the New Orleans Cancer Institute, which is a comprehensive community cancer program, the New Orleans Surgery and Heart Institute, advanced labor and delivery services, a level three regional Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, orthopedics, Diabetes Management Center and Sleep Disorders Center.
    NorthShore Regional Medical Center is a 174-bed acute care hospital located on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain in Slidell, La. NorthShore is a full-service hospital that includes a 24-hour emergency room. The hospital specializes in cardiac care, neonatal intensive care, pediatric intensive care, physical therapy and rehabilitation and sleep disorders.

    Tenet Texas-Gulf Coast, part of Tenet Healthcare Corporation (NYSE:THC), is comprised of 18 acute care hospitals, five specialty facilities and related services in Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi. Facilities include Houston Northwest Medical Center, a 100 Top Hospital as rated by Solucient, a leading health care information company, five hospitals that serve the greater Dallas area, a two acute care-hospital system in El Paso and five hospitals that serve the greater New Orleans area.

    About Humana Health Benefit Plan of Louisiana, Inc.

    Humana Health Benefit Plan of Louisiana, Inc. is one of the largest health benefit plans in the New Orleans market and the third largest in the state of Louisiana with approximately 150,000 commercial medical members and approximately 35,000 members in the MedicareAdvantage program.
    Humana Health Benefit Plan of Louisiana Inc. is the only health plan in Louisiana to be awarded the Excellent Accreditation from NCQA twice in a row. "Excellent" is the highest accreditation awarded by NCQA, an independent, not-for-profit organization dedicated to measuring the quality of America's health care.

    Some of the statements in this release may constitute forward-looking statements. Such statements are based on our current expectations and could be affected by numerous factors and are subject to various risks and uncertainties discussed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended Dec. 31, 2003, our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and periodic reports on Form 8-K. Do not rely on any forward-looking statement, as we cannot predict or control many of the factors that ultimately may affect our ability to achieve the results estimated. We make no promise to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of changes in underlying factors, new information, future events or otherwise.

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CONTACT: Tenet Media Contacts: Brenda Lockey, 504-464-8755 Susie Mailloux, 469-893-6195 or Humana Media Contact: Ross McLerran, 504-219-5101

KEYWORD: LOUISIANA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: INSURANCE MEDICAL MARKETING AGREEMENTS SOURCE: Tenet Healthcare

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