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PRIVATIZING THE VA: HMO TO PROVIDE SOME VETERANS'

HEALTHCARE IN PARTS OF 23 STATES -- Humana

Veterans Healthcare Services, led by former VA

official Alfonzo Poteet, gets Project Hero contracts.

Here is the next step in privatizing the VA.

Project Hero will provide healthcare to rural vets.  But, not VA healthcare...HMO healthcare.

Our retirees have already gone through this as military hospitals closed and they found themselves in an HMO, TRICARE.

Humana Veterans Healthcare Services, is led by former VA official Alfonzo Poteet, who is eager to snatch up VA dollars.  That story here... http://vawatchdog.org/07/
nf07/nfJUN07/nf060507-1.htm

Instead of building clinics and hospitals, the VA is handing over veterans' healthcare to private healthcare providers. 

This can only lead to the eventual demise of the VA healthcare system.

For more about Project Hero, use the VA Watchdog search engine...click here...
http://www.yourvabenefits.org/ses
search.php?q=project+hero&op=ph

For more about privatizing the VA, use the VA Watchdog search engine...click here...
http://www.yourvabenefits.org/
sessearch.php?q=privatize
+privatizing&op=or

Today's story here... http://www.trading
markets.com/.site/news/Stock
%20News/687906/

Story below:

-------------------------

Humana Veterans Healthcare Services Awarded Project Hero Demonstration Contract To Support Healthcare Delivery To Veterans

LOUISVILLE, Ky.,(BUSINESS WIRE) -- Humana Inc. announced today that Humana Veterans Healthcare Services (HVHS) was awarded the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Project Hero demonstration contract to support healthcare delivery to veterans in Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISNs) 8, 16, 20 and 23.

Under the terms of the award, HVHS will have the opportunity to serve veterans in Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington; and portions of Alabama, California, Georgia, Kansas, Illinois, Missouri, Montana, Texas, Wisconsin and Wyoming. HVHS will work with local VA officials to deliver timely access to high quality, cost-effective care, for the veteran population in the affected areas. The contract is comprised of one base period and four one-year option periods.

"We are honored to be chosen by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to meet the health care needs of our nation's veterans," said Al Poteet, HVHS' president and chief executive officer. "As a veteran and former member of the Department of Veterans Affairs team, I look forward to developing a collaborative partnership with the VA to help manage the quality and cost of health care services for such a deserving population."

Drawing on Humana's substantial government experience in Medicare and TRICARE, HVHS will offer an extensive array of resources and services. Among the clinical offerings will be behavioral health, diagnostic, dialysis, medical and surgical services. Availability of these services will improve the ability of VA's patient-focused health care system to care for the Department's enrolled veterans.

About HVHS

HVHS, headquartered in Louisville, KY, is a subsidiary of Humana Military Healthcare Services. The company was formed in 2007 to develop solutions to veterans' healthcare issues. It provides an organizational structure that is flexible, agile, and responsive to the emerging requirements of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the veterans who rely on VA services.

About Humana

Humana Inc., headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, is one of the nation's largest publicly traded health benefits companies, with approximately 11.3 million medical members. Humana offers a diversified portfolio of health insurance products and related services - through traditional and consumer-choice plans - to employer groups, government-sponsored plans, and individuals.

Over its 46-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.

SOURCE: Humana Inc.

Humana Military Healthcare Services Julie Ice, 502-301-6982 jice@humana.com

-------------------------

Larry Scott  --

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