Coventry Health Care Announces Coverage of NewChildhood Vaccine.

Health & Medical Writers

BETHESDA, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 10, 2000

Coventry Health Care, Inc. (NASDAQ/NM:CVTY) announced today that it will provide coverage for a new childhood vaccine that has been heralded as a major advance in the effort to reduce serious infections

The newly developed pneumococcal conjugate vaccine has proven to be highly effective in preventing serious infections in infants that are caused by the bacteria pneumococcus.

This bacteria is responsible for upwards of 30,000 cases of life-threatening meningitis each year in young children, as well as thousands of cases of pneumonia and blood-stream infection. In addition, the vaccine has been shown to prevent a significant number of middle ear infections, one of the most common infections in young children.

"We have closely followed the medical literature and believe that the evidence is compelling enough to warrant including this vaccine as part of our standard care," said Dr. Bernard J. Mansheim, Coventry's Chief Medical Officer.

Leading authorities, such as Dr. Jerome Klein, Professor of Pediatrics at Boston University School of Medicine and an expert in the field of childhood immunization, also endorse the new vaccine. Dr. Klein commented that "the vaccine should prove to be an effective new weapon against pneumococcal infection in children."

The pneumococcal vaccine is expected to receive endorsement by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and broad usage by pediatricians.

"Consistent with our ongoing commitment to improve the health of our members, we have decided to announce our intent to cover this vaccine for all infants," said Dr. Mansheim. "This vaccine is also particularly welcome as a preventive measure at a time when antibiotic resistance is on the rise."

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.