NCQA Health Plan Report Card
Ranks HIP Health Plan's Commercial HMO/POS as Excellent

New York, Oct. 3 - HIP Health Plan today announced that the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) has given its Commercial HMO/POS* a rating of Excellent.

"We are pleased to inform you that, based on your organization's HEDIS 2006 results, your Accreditation status for HIP Health Plan of New York's Commercial HMO/POS Combined has increased to Excellent," HIP was informed in a letter from the highly respected NCQA.

The certificate reflecting HIP's new Accreditation status said in part that the NCQA has awarded "…its highest Accreditation status of Excellent for service and clinical quality that meet or exceed NCQA's rigorous requirements for consumer protection and quality improvement. This organization's HEDIS® results are in the highest range of national performance."

Anthony L. Watson, Chairman& CEO, issued the following statement.

"We are pleased and gratified that our dedicated, hard work to transform HIP Health Plan into a first-class organization increasingly has been recognized. The NCQA recognition is the latest and most prestigious recognition for HIP. What it means is that our more than one million members are assured that they have access to the best and most complete health care coverage to be obtained anywhere."

HIP joins its highly ranked subsidiaries, ConnectiCare HMO in Connecticut and the former Vytra Health Plan on Long Island in rising to the Excellent level of Accreditation in its commercial products for its entire HIP system.

*HMO: Health Maintenance Organization
POS: Point of Service
® HEDIS is a registered trademark of the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA)

HIP Profile
HIP Health Plan of New York is the largest HMO in New York City based on membership. HIP provides access to physician services and hospital care in a variety of ways. We contract with more than 160 hospitals, including major acute care institutions, in New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts to provide services to our members. HIP members have access to HIP-contracted doctors in large, multi-specialty group practices and in facilities associated with some of New York's leading hospitals, as well as those practicing in their own offices.

HIP's total network, including subsidiaries, comprises nearly 43,000 physicians and other providers in over 72,000 locations in New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts. HIP acquired Vytra Health Plans in 2001; ConnectiCare, one of the largest health plans in Connecticut, in 2005; and PerfectHealth in 2006. Our combined membership is approximately 1.3 million. In 2005, the boards of directors of HIP and Group Health, Inc. (GHI) agreed to a merger. Together, HIP and GHI will have more than 4 million members and offer about 90,000 providers in over 145,000 locations. The merger is awaiting regulatory approval. For additional information about HIP, please visit www.hipusa.com. It is available in English, Spanish, Chinese and Korean.