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8/5/11

Humana to Launch Far-Reaching National Initiative in Support of U.S. Military Veterans

LOUISVILLE, Ky.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--President Obama today acknowledged significant support from Humana and other private companies at a Washington event designed to showcase efforts to help U.S. military veterans enter or re-enter the workforce.

Mike McCallister, chairman and chief executive officer of Humana, joined the president at the Washington Navy Yard as Mr. Obama urged U.S. companies to hire or train an additional 100,000 veterans by the end of 2013.

Based on its experience working with military veterans and recent extensive research of veterans’ financial and medical needs, Humana (NYSE: HUM) today is announcing a new, national Veterans Initiative. As part of the initiative, Humana:

  • Has set a goal to hire 1,000 qualified veterans and/or their spouses in a variety of roles across the company
  • Will contribute $1 million over the next two years to a veteran-focused entrepreneurship program
  • Will introduce a new suite of health-plan and financial-protection products – many of which have been created specifically for veterans and their families

“Through our ongoing work at Humana Military and at Humana Veterans Healthcare Services, Humana enjoys a longstanding relationship with active-duty and retired U.S. military men and women,” McCallister said. “We’ve also been fortunate to hire many veterans whose professionalism and skill place them among the most outstanding associates working for Humana today. So the creation of this Veterans Initiative is a natural next step for Humana.”

The new Humana Veterans Initiative will result in additional efforts to recruit 1,000 qualified military veterans and/or their spouses to become Humana associates, working in roles across the company.

Humana will also contribute $1 million to the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities (EBV), a national program that offers cutting-edge training in entrepreneurship and small-business management at no cost to post-9/11 veterans. The program was founded in 2007 at the Martin J. Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University (SU). The EBV is now offered through a network of seven world-class business schools at SU, the University of Connecticut, Florida State University, Louisiana State University, Purdue University, Texas A&M University and UCLA.

“We’re excited and honored to have Humana support the EBV program as part of its new Veterans Initiative,” said Mike Haynie, founder and national executive director of EBV programs. “Every day, we’re making great strides with the national EBV program, opening doors to business ownership for our nation’s veterans. With its generous financial contribution and hands-on support, Humana will enable us to provide these resources to even more veterans.”

Humana’s expanded recruitment of veterans

Humana is supplementing its recruiting efforts to bring additional qualified veterans onto the Humana team. The unemployment rate among veterans during their first two years after leaving the military is estimated at 22 percent, or more than two times the overall U.S. unemployment rate, one reason for the hiring campaign.

“Our experience is that veterans are well-trained, highly motivated individuals who make an immediate impact when they come to work at Humana,” said Fred Wheeler, leader of Humana’s new Veterans Initiative. “We’re excited to expand our employment of veterans in the coming months. Given the company’s focus on helping people achieve lifelong well-being, veterans will be great ambassadors for Humana.”

Humana will promote job opportunities for veterans on its website, humana.com, as well as on some of the nation’s largest job-search sites, such as CareerBuilder.com and Monster.com.

Concentra role in Veterans Initiative

Later in 2011, Humana will announce details of the products and services it will offer veterans as part of the company’s new Veterans Initiative. Also, Humana-owned Concentra urgent care facilities will offer veterans savings on services at more than 300 Concentra facilities around the U.S. that are open to the public.

“We can’t wait to make significant progress with this Veterans Initiative,” Wheeler said. “We demonstrate our company’s commitment to the military, veterans and their families every day. This is a great new way to expand that commitment and deepen our relationship with these men and women who have served our country so honorably.”

About Humana

Humana Inc., headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, is a leading health care company that offers a wide range of insurance products and health and wellness services that incorporate an integrated approach to lifelong well-being. By leveraging the strengths of its core businesses, Humana believes it can better explore opportunities for existing and emerging adjacencies in health care that can further enhance wellness opportunities for the millions of people across the nation with whom the company has relationships.

More information regarding Humana is available to investors via the Investor Relations page of the company’s web site at 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 (including upcoming earnings conference call dates and times, as well as planned interaction with research analysts and institutional investors)
  • Corporate Governance information

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