N@N

Health Net Federal Services Is Awarded URAC Health Utilization Management and Case Management Reaccreditation

^{Published on 2008-12-03 08:20:59 - Market Wire}
 

RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif.--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--Health Net Federal Services, LLC, the government operations division of Health Net, Inc. (NYSE:HNT), today announced that it has been awarded Health Utilization Management and Case Management Reaccreditations from URAC, a Washington, D.C.-based health care accrediting organization that establishes quality standards for the health care industry. URAC's Health Utilization Management Accreditation includes key quality benchmarks for consistency in utilization management processes. URAC's Case Management Accreditation establishes standards to ensure appropriate patient protection and confidentiality. Health Net is accredited through URAC's Health Network, HIPPAA Privacy Standards and ISO 9001:2000, as well.

"Health Net Federal Services is very proud to earn the URAC reaccreditations, which demonstrate our commitment to operational excellence," said Steve Tough, president, Health Net Federal Services. "Reaccreditation complements our culture of serving our TRICARE beneficiaries with access to quality health care in a timely, accurate and compassionate manner."

Health Net Federal Services, the managed care support contractor for the TRICARE North Region, has a long history of providing cost-effective, quality managed health care programs for government agencies.

Under the TRICARE North contract, Health Net Federal Services provides health care services to more than 3 million uniformed services beneficiaries, active and retired, and their families. The North Region includes: Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin. In addition, the contract covers a small portion of Tennessee, Missouri and Iowa.

"By applying for and receiving URAC Health Utilization Management and Case Management Accreditation, Health Net Federal Services has demonstrated a commitment to quality health care," said Alan P. Spielman, URAC president and CEO. "Quality health care is crucial to our nation's welfare and it is important to have organizations that are willing to measure themselves against national standards and undergo rigorous evaluation by an independent accrediting body."

URAC, an independent, nonprofit organization, is a leader in promoting health care quality through accreditation and certification programs. URAC's standards keep pace with the rapid changes in the health care system and provide a mark of distinction for health care organizations to demonstrate their commitment to quality and accountability. Through its broad-based governance structure and an inclusive standards development process, URAC ensures that all stakeholders are represented in setting meaningful standards for the health care industry. For more information, visit [ www.urac.org ].

About Health Net

Health Net Federal Services is a subsidiary of Health Net, Inc. 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 6.7 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 7.0 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 ]. For more information on Health Net Federal Services, please visit [ www.healthnetfederalservices.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, rising health care costs, negative prior period claims reserve developments, additional investment portfolio impairment charges, changes in the economy, 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 business, issues relating to provider contracts, 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 and subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC. 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.