Coventry Health Care Completes Acquisition ofPrimeONE.

Business Editors

BETHESDA, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 1, 2000

Coventry Health Care, Inc. (NASDAQ/NM:CVTY) today announced that it has completed its acquisition of The Anthem Company's West Virginia managed care subsidiary, PrimeONE, Inc., effective February 1, 2000.

&uot;We are pleased to complete the PrimeONE acquisition on schedule,&uot; said Allen F. Wise, Coventry's President and Chief Executive Officer. &uot;This transaction, combined with the Carelink acquisition in late 1999, solidifies Coventry's market leadership position in West Virginia.&uot;

Coventry Health Care is a managed health care company based in Bethesda, Maryland operating health plans and insurance companies under the names Coventry Health Care, Coventry Health and Life, HealthAmerica, HealthAssurance, HealthCare USA, Group Health Plan, Southern Health and Carelink Health Plans.

The Company provides a full range of managed care products and services including HMO, PPO, POS, Medicare Risk and Medicaid to 1.5 million members in a broad cross section of employer and government-funded groups in 15 markets throughout the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and Southeast United States. More information is available on the Internet at http://www.cvty.com.

This press release contains forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

These statements relate to future events or future financial performance and may be significantly impacted by certain risks and uncertainties described in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1998 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.