UnitedHealthcare Medicare Drug Plans Continue to Offer Stable Costs and Broad List of Covered...

MINNEAPOLIS -- As the result of an open market bidding process administered by the Medicare program, UnitedHealthcare will not be in a position to offer approximately 650,000 of its auto-enrolled low-income subsidy members a zero premium option in 18 of 34 U.S. regions. The Company's 2008

bids exceeded the low-income premium benchmarks set by Medicare for its auction-type process. Those members will be directed by the Medicare program to other Part D plans whose bids fell below the market averages for all bids. However, Federal regulations allow UnitedHealthcare to contact these members and make them aware of their available plan coverage. Members can elect to pay the modest difference above the benchmark in their region, remain in their UnitedHealthcare plan, and continue their access to UnitedHealthcare's comprehensive drug formulary.

The Company's prescription drug plans did qualify to serve beneficiaries receiving a low-income subsidy from the Medicare program in 16 out of 34 regions of the country in 2008.

"We are very attuned to the costs that low income subsidy members incur under this program and took a disciplined and thoughtful approach as we developed our 2008 bids. About half of our local bids were slightly higher than the low income subsidy benchmarks set by the annual auction process," said Anthony Welters, president of UnitedHealth Group's Public and Senior Markets Group. "Our plans today serve nearly 6 million people across a variety of products. In 2008 we will continue to offer excellent value in all regions, based on our broad, inclusive formularies and excellent customer service."

"We are confident that our 2008 product portfolio will continue to attract a broad range of new members during the open enrollment period and through employers seeking drug coverage that provides additional value for their retirees through 2008. We expect the loss of auto-enrolled dual eligible members in select regions will have a minimal impact on our overall earnings performance," Welters concluded.

About UnitedHealth Group

UnitedHealth Group (www.unitedhealthgroup.com) (NYSE:UNH) is a diversified health and well-being company dedicated to making health care work better. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn., UnitedHealth Group offers a broad spectrum of products and services through six operating businesses: UnitedHealthcare, Ovations, AmeriChoice, Uniprise, OptumHealth and Ingenix. Through its family of businesses, UnitedHealth Group serves approximately 70 million individuals nationwide.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain statements, estimates, projections, guidance or outlook that constitute "forward-looking" statements as defined under U.S. federal securities laws. Generally the words "believe," "expect," "intend," "estimate," "anticipate," "plan," "project," "will" and similar expressions, identify forward-looking statements, which generally are not historical in nature. These statements may contain information about financial prospects, economic conditions, trends and uncertainties. We caution that actual results could differ materially from those that management expects, depending on the outcome of certain factors. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause UnitedHealth Group's actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements. Some factors that could cause results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements include: failure to achieve business growth targets, including the risk of higher than expected loss of auto-enrolled dual eligible members in UnitedHealth Group's Part D business; the potential consequences of the findings announced on October 15, 2006 of the investigation by an Independent Committee of directors of our historic stock option practices, the consequences of the restatement of our previous financial statements, related governmental reviews, including a formal investigation by the SEC, and review by the IRS, U.S. Congressional committees, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York and Minnesota Attorney General, a related review by the Special Litigation Committee of the Company, and related shareholder derivative actions, shareholder demands and purported securities and Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) class actions, the resolution of matters currently subject to an injunction issued by the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota, a purported notice of acceleration with respect to certain of the Company's debt securities based upon an alleged event of default under the indenture governing such securities, and recent management and director changes, and the potential impact of each of these matters on our business, credit ratings and debt; increases in health care costs that are higher than we anticipated in establishing our premium rates, including increased consumption of or costs of medical services; heightened competition as a result of new entrants into our market, and consolidation of health care companies and suppliers; events that may negatively affect our contract with AARP; uncertainties regarding changes in Medicare, including coordination of information systems and accuracy of certain assumptions; funding risks with respect to revenues received from Medicare and Medicaid programs; increases in costs and other liabilities associated with increased litigation, legislative activity and government regulation and review of our industry; our ability to execute contracts on competitive terms with physicians, hospitals and other service providers; regulatory and other risks associated with the pharmacy benefits management industry; failure to maintain effective and efficient information systems, which could result in the loss of existing customers, difficulties in attracting new customers, difficulties in determining medical costs estimates and appropriate pricing, customer and physician and health care provider disputes, regulatory violations, increases in operating costs, or other adverse consequences; possible impairment of the value of our intangible assets if future results do not adequately support goodwill and intangible assets recorded for businesses that we acquire; potential noncompliance by our business associates with patient privacy data; misappropriation of our proprietary technology; and anticipated benefits of acquisitions that may not be realized.

This list of important factors is not intended to be exhaustive. A further list and description of some of these risks and uncertainties can be found in our reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time, including annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K. Any or all forward-looking statements we make may turn out to be wrong. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. Except to the extent otherwise required by federal securities laws, we do not undertake to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements.