-- UnitedHealth Group customers affected by the storm eligible to obtain early prescription refills -- Toll-free help line to assist residents seeking help to deal with stress and anxiety brought on by the storm

PLANO, Texas, Sep 19, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- UnitedHealth Group is donating $100,000 to the "Hurricanes
of 2008" American Red Cross fund to assist in
emergency relief and recovery efforts.

The donation will provide support for shelter, meals, clean up and
comfort kits, as well as mental health support for the families and
communities affected by U.S. hurricanes this season. UnitedHealth Group
has also donated water and other supplies to assist storm victims and
mobilized its local employee volunteer corps who will link to relief
efforts.

In addition, through the company's annual
giving campaign, employee contributions will be matched
dollar-for-dollar to eligible organizations that provide disaster
relief,including the American Red Cross andSalvation Army chapters
that are members ofthe United Way.

"UnitedHealth Group is concerned about the
health and welfare of people affected by hurricanes. We want to move
quickly to help not just our customers, but as many of our fellow
residents affected by the storm as possible. And we will continue to
look for ways to respond to their needs," said
Randy Giles, CEO of UnitedHealthcare of South Texas.

UnitedHealth Group and its family of companies, including
UnitedHealthcare, Ovations, AmeriChoice, OptumHealth and Prescription
Solutions, is also taking action to help people who have been adversely
affected by the storm.

Individuals and clients with a commercial, fully insured plan and
residing in the counties listed in the Texas Department of Insurance
Emergency order (Angelina, Austin, Brazoria, Brazos, Chambers, Cherokee,
Fort Bend, Galveston, Gregg, Grimes, Hardin, Harris, Houston, Jasper,
Jefferson, Liberty, Madison, Matagorda, Montgomery, Nacogdoches, Newton,
Orange, Polk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Rusk, Trinity, Tyler,
Walker, Waller, Washington and Wharton) have been extended a number of
relief measures, including:

--
Extension of Deadline for Premium Payments. Effective Sept. 7,
2008, an extension of the deadline for premium payments will be
granted to individual and employer clients in Texas that were affected
by Hurricane Ike. This applies only to commercial fully insured business
and individuals in counties listed in the Texas Department of
Insurance emergency order.

--
Coverage for Medical Services, Equipment and Supplies for fully
insured individuals in affected counties for dates of service
beginning Sept. 7, 2008, and forward:


--
Help Accessing Network Physicians and Facilities. Individuals
that require care and are unable to determine the network status
of a physician or care facility will not be subject to a benefit
reduction for seeing an out-of-network provider. Customers who are
displaced are encouraged to call the number on the back of their
ID card for assistance.

--
Individuals outside the Texas Department of Insurance Emergency
order area who need assistance should call the telephone number on
the back of their medical ID cards. If necessary, customer care
professionals will help them obtain in-network benefits for
out-of-network services if an in-network provider is not available.

--

Durable Medical Equipment and Supplies - Guidelines for
durable medical equipment and supplies replacement will be
modified to allow earlier replacement should the item be
damaged, lost or destroyed.

--

Provider & Member Timely Filing - We will also extend
any claim-filing deadlines for members and providers.

--

Waive Notification Penalties - We will waive contractual
restrictions that require preauthorization, or notification
requirements for individuals in counties listed in the Texas
Department of Insurance emergency order.

--
We will also waive contractual restrictions that require
preauthorization, or notification requirements for both
self-funded and fully insured members in the counties listed in
the Hurricane Ike FEMA disaster order for Texas (outside the Texas
Department of Insurance's emergency
order area). This specific provision will remain in effect until
Sept. 26, 2008. For the most up-to-date list of counties in the
related Hurricane Ike FEMA order, please visit www.fema.gov/news/disasters.fema

--
Early Refills for Prescription Medications. Effective
immediately, a pharmacy exception for covered prescription refills has
been implemented across all counties in Texas. This allows fully
insured health plan customers affected by Hurricane Ike to obtain
an early refill of a prescription medication, providing they have a
refill remaining on file at a participating retail pharmacy. This
measure will remain in place for the duration of this event. Note:
this does not affect self-funded business; however, self-funded
clients can request to adopt these measures. Please contact your
UnitedHealthcare representative for more details.

--
The pharmacy early refill exception also applies to individuals with
prescription coverage through Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement
or Medicare Part D offerings, including the AARP MedicareRx plans.

--
Medicare Advantage and Medicaid Enrollees: Medicare Advantage
and Medicaid enrollees also have access to the above services within
the state of Texas.

The OptumHealth Help Line is now open at (866) 342-6892 to assist
all residents trying to cope with the emotional consequences of
Hurricane Ike. Staffed by experienced master's-level
behavioral health specialists, the free help line assists callers with a
range of personal concerns including stress, anxiety and the grieving
process. Callers may also receive referrals to a database of community
resources to help them with specific concerns, such as financial and
legal issues. The Help Line is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week
for as long as necessary. This service is free of charge.
Resources and information are also available in English at www.liveandworkwell.com
and in Spanish at www.mentesana-cuerposano.com.

About UnitedHealth Group

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) is a diversified health and well-being
company dedicated to making health care work better. Headquartered in
Minnetonka, Minn., UnitedHealth Group offers a broad spectrum of
products and services through seven operating businesses:
UnitedHealthcare, Ovations, AmeriChoice, Uniprise, OptumHealth, Ingenix,
and Prescription Solutions. Through its family of businesses,
UnitedHealth Group serves more than 70 million individuals nationwide.

SOURCE: UnitedHealth Group

UnitedHealthcare-Texas 
Kim Whitaker, 469-633-8536 
kim_t_whitaker@uhc.com

Copyright Business Wire 2008