Screening Offered to HumanaDental Members Age 40 and Older
LOUISVILLE, Ky.--(Business Wire)--
HumanaDental Insurance Co., part of the Humana Specialty Benefits
family of supplemental benefits offered by Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM),
will provide oral-cancer screening to HumanaDental members (age 40 and
older) enrolled in the company's fully insured dental plans.
"One person dies of oral cancer every hour in the United States,"
said Mark Matzke, chief operating officer, HumanaDental. "Because
early detection is the key to fighting this disease, we're pleased to
offer this coverage as part of our commitment to promoting oral
health, which is directly linked to overall health."
"ViziLite(R) Plus with TBlue630" - the cancer-screening procedure
- is simple, quick, pain-free and effective. HumanaDental will cover
the screening once a year beginning April 1, 2008.
An annual ViziLite Plus exam, after a conventional visual
examination, represents an integral part of comprehensive oral-cancer
screenings. The screenings help dentists detect oral cancer in its
early stages, as well as precancerous tissue.
After the patient rinses with a special solution, the dentist
examines the mouth with a disposable light stick. Under the light,
abnormal tissue appears bright white; the dentist marks it with a
temporary dye called TBlue630.
A recently published clinical study revealed that using ViziLite
Plus with TBlue630 detected 100 percent of cancers and lesions at
highest risk of becoming cancer. Oral cancer is found primarily in
tobacco users or heavy drinkers, but new research shows a common
strain of the sexually transmitted HPV virus also accounts for a
significant percentage of all oral cancer cases in the U.S.
ViziLite Plus with TBlue630 is a product of Zila Pharmaceuticals
(Nasdaq: ZILA); more information is available at www.vizilite.com. To
learn more about oral cancer, visit www.oralcancerfoundation.org.
About HumanaDental
HumanaDental Insurance Company is one of the nation's ten largest
U.S. dental insurers. HumanaDental's product portfolio features
options to meet any employer's benefit and budget needs.
HumanaDental's dentist network - now topping 106,000 dentist locations
- enables members and their families to benefit from negotiated
discounts by choosing in-network dentists.
HumanaDental markets and administers dental insurance plans under
the license names HumanaDental Insurance Company, Employers Health
Insurance Company, The Dental Concern Inc., and The Dental Concern,
Ltd. More information on HumanaDental is available online at
www.humanadental.com.
About Humana
Humana Inc., headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, is one of the
nation's largest publicly traded health and supplemental benefits
companies, with approximately 11.5 million medical members. Humana is
a full-service benefits solutions company, offering a wide array of
health and supplementary benefit plans for employer groups, government
programs and individuals.
Over its 47-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
Humana Inc.
Jim Turner, Humana Corporate Communications
502-476-2119
jturner2@humana.com
Copyright Business Wire 2008
