WellPoint Announces Acquisition of DeCare Dental

INDIANAPOLIS, April 29 WellPoint, Inc.(NYSE: WLP), the nation's largest health benefits company, today announced theacquisition of DeCare Dental, one of the country's largest administrators ofdental benefit plans. DeCare, a Minneapolis-based company, manages fourmillion members representing 21,000 group customers. The acquisition of DeCareenhances WellPoint's ability to offer dental products that balanceaffordability and access, drawing upon DeCare's expertise in dental analyticsand operations.

"The acquisition of DeCare builds upon a core focus of WellPoint which isto continually provide our members with innovative and industry-leadingproducts," said Angela F. Braly, president and CEO of WellPoint. "DeCare hasclearly emerged as a leader in administering dental benefits. Their uniquetools and services and exceptional management team will enhance WellPoint'sability to provide affordable, high-quality dental benefits to our membersnationwide."

"DeCare is excited to join a company that has a unique market position ofhaving both national scale and strong local depth," said Michael Walsh,president and CEO of DeCare. "Our employees will be able to serve a muchlarger population of dental and medical members, executing on our mission toserve the oral health needs of our communities."

Upon completion of the acquisition, WellPoint will become one of thelargest providers and administrators of dental benefits in the country withsignificant growth opportunities nationwide. Both WellPoint and DeCare willcontinue to service their current clients while both dental organizations areintegrated. The combination of WellPoint and DeCare creates even greateropportunities to improve the health of their members by providing innovativetools and health information.

"Research has shown a linkage between poor oral health and serious medicalconditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and increased risk ofpre-term low birth weight babies," said Dennis Casey, President and CEO ofWellPoint's UniCare and Specialty businesses. "An integrated health benefitsplan that includes medical and dental coverage provides consumers withimportant preventative services that focus on overall well-being and goodhealth."

DeCare currently serves 10 dental plans, primarily as a third partyadministrator. DeCare also operates DeCare Systems Ireland (DSI), whichoffers custom enterprise software solutions, e-business applications andapplication performance tuning and is also the first American company to offerdental benefits in Ireland as Vhi DeCare Dental.

Upon the completion of the acquisition, WellPoint's dental company willprovide and administer dental benefits to 9 million members and have one ofthe nation's largest dental PPO networks.

About WellPoint, Inc.

WellPoint's mission is to improve the lives of the people it serves andthe health of its communities. WellPoint, Inc. is the largest health benefitscompany in terms of commercial membership in the United States. Through itsnationwide networks, the company delivers a number of leading health benefitsolutions through a broad portfolio of integrated health care plans andrelated services, along with a wide range of specialty products such as lifeand disability insurance benefits, pharmacy benefit management, dental,vision, behavioral health benefit services, as well as long term careinsurance and flexible spending accounts. Headquartered in Indianapolis,Indiana, WellPoint is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and BlueShield Association and serves its members as the Blue Cross licensee forCalifornia; the Blue Cross and Blue Shield licensee for Colorado, Connecticut,Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri (excluding 30 counties in theKansas City area), Nevada, New Hampshire, New York (as Blue Cross Blue Shieldin 10 New York City metropolitan and surrounding counties and as