Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Kentucky, UK HealthCare Renew Network Agreement

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Kentucky, UK HealthCare Renew Network
Agreement

LEXINGTON, Ky., July 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in
Kentucky and the UK HealthCare system have reached agreement on a new
three-year contract. Through this agreement, physicians, facilities and other
medical professionals affiliated with UK HealthCare will remain in Anthem's
provider networks.

Members who are enrolled in Anthem's Blue Traditional, Blue Access (PPO), Blue
Preferred (HMO and POS), Federal Employee HMO program and Medicare Select
networks will continue to have access to UK HealthCare physicians, hospitals,
and related services through their health insurance coverage.

"This is good news for Anthem customers throughout Kentucky who rely on UK
HealthCare facilities to provide their medical care," said Mike Lorch, Vice
President of Health Services for Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in
Kentucky. "UK HealthCare is a valued partner, and we're pleased to have them
in our network."

Anthem products provide access to the broadest network of hospitals and
physicians in the state of Kentucky, as well as a nationwide and worldwide
network.

This agreement also allows UK to continue its work toward recognition as a Top
20 public research institution, a component of which is bringing highly
specialized medical care to allow Kentuckians to receive life-saving medical
treatments close to home.

UK HealthCare system is made up of 1,000 full and part-time faculty and more
than 600 attending physicians serving nearly two million Kentuckians in its
service area. UK HealthCare's Chandler Hospital was recently identified as one
of the top 15 major teaching hospitals in the nation, and in the top 100 among
all hospitals.

"Over the last several years, UK HealthCare has excelled and expanded in the
academic health care arena - research, education and clinical care," said Dr.
Michael Karpf, Executive Vice President for Health Affairs. "We have increased
our advanced specialty programs and services, recruited the necessary
physician talent and expertise, and invested in the people, programs and
facilities that make UK HealthCare a premier university medical center.

"We are pleased that this agreement will allow us to continue our progress,
while balancing the impact of health care costs on employers and the
communities we serve," he added.

We "see blue" at the University of Kentucky. We're home not only to powerhouse
basketball and the best of intercollegiate athletics; we're also nationally
ranked in more than 70 academic programs. We're charting an aggressive,
exciting path toward becoming a Top 20 public research institution. "see
blue." is a lot of things, but most of all it's about helping students realize
their potential and harness the power of their dreams. For more about UK's
efforts to become a Top 20 university and how we "see blue," visit
www.uky.edu/OPBPA/business_plan.htm

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield is the trade name of Anthem Health Plans of
Kentucky, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.
(R)ANTHEM is a registered trademark of Anthem Insurance Companies, Inc. The
Blue Cross and Blue Shield names and symbols are registered marks of the Blue
Cross and Blue Shield Association. Additional information about Anthem Blue
Cross and Blue Shield in Kentucky is available at www.anthem.com.

SOURCE Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Kentucky

Tony Felts, of Anthem, +1-502-889-3167, Tony.Felts@anthem.com, or Jimmy
Stanton, UK, +1-859-257-6605, jimmy.stanton@uky.edu