FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

In ongoing efforts to provide the best health care to the growing number of Medicare-eligible New Yorkers, MVP Gold now will be available to residents in Chenango, Cortland, Herkimer, Madison, Oneida, and Oswego counties.

MVP Gold is also available to residents of Albany, Broome, Cayuga, Columbia, Dutchess, Fulton, Greene, Montgomery, Onondaga, Orange, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Tioga, Ulster, Warren and Washington counties.

As the MVP Gold service area expands in 2009, MVP Gold will also offer the following upgrades and new plan features:

· Adding a routine dental benefit

· Increasing the travel benefit to $5,000 annually

· Adding coverage for acupuncture services

· Increasing HealthDollars(sm) to $100 annually, for use toward any health or wellness program.

"One reason MVP Gold is different from other Medicare products is that MVP Gold is administered by the same exceptional staff that currently provides personal attention and care for Preferred Care Gold members in Rochester," said Patrick Glavey, vice president of Medicare for MVP Health Care. "Preferred Care Gold is the number one Medicare Advantage health plan in New York state on the U.S. News & World Report/NCQA America's Best Health Plans 2007 list."

For details on MVP Gold Medicare Advantage health plans, visit joinmvpgold.com or call 1-800-209-3945.

MVP is a family of companies offering a range of health benefit plans and options combined with leading-edge wellness programs that reduce health risks and control health care costs. The company has more than 700,000 members in New York state, Vermont and New Hampshire. MVP offers fully insured and self-funded employer health benefit plans, dental insurance and ancillary products, such as flexible spending accounts.

For more information, see www.mvphealthcare.com/press.