2008-10-07 22:22:03 -

- Health Net of California Brad Kieffer, 818.676.6833 brad.kieffer@healthnet.com or Bear Valley Community Healthcare District Cheri Wood, 909.878.8214 cwoodbvhospital@yahoo.com Bear Valley Community Healthcare District of Big Bear Lake and Health Net of California, Inc. have signed a new agreement that provides Health Net members with access to health care at Bear Valley Community Hospital.

The contract covers Health Net

members with employer-sponsored, Individual & Family Plans, Medicare and Healthy Families coverage. Members have access to Bear Valley's wide range of medical services, including medical and nursing care, inpatient and outpatient surgery, respiratory care, physical therapy, orthopedic services, emergency room care and diagnostic services, including CT scanning, ultrasound, digital X-ray and mammography services. -0- For More Information Health Net Inc. Online Newsroom Health Net Member Web Site Health Net Insurance for Individuals Health Net Medicare Plans Bear Valley Community Hospital

"Our agreement means Health Net members in the Big Bear Valley have access to quality health care close to home," said Martha Smith, Health Net's vice president of Health Plan Network Management.

"This agreement is a collaborative effort to continuously assess and meet the community needs, especially during these economic times," said Vi Colunga, Bear Valley Community Hospital chief executive officer.

About Bear Valley Community Hospital

Bear Valley Community Hospital's mission is to deliver quality healthcare to the residents of, and visitors to, Big Bear Valley through the most effective use of available resources.

About Health Net

Health Net of California, Inc., a subsidiary of Health Net, Inc. (NYSE:HNT), is one of the largest health plans in the state. Together with Health Net Life Insurance Company, it serves nearly 2.3 million members statewide, and contracts with more than 56,000 physicians, 300-plus hospitals and nearly 5,000 pharmacies, giving its members greater choice and more convenient access to care. Its commercial HMO and POS lines of business and its Medicare line of business have received the "excellent" accreditation status from the National Committee for Quality Assurance, and its Medicaid line of business has received the "Commendable" accreditation status.

Cautionary Statements

All statements in this press release, other than statements of historical information provided herein, may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. These statements are based on management's analysis, judgment, belief and expectation only as of the date hereof, and are subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances. Without limiting the foregoing, the words "believes," "anticipates," "plans," "expects," "may," "should," "could," "estimate," "intend" and other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Actual results could differ materially due to, among other things, rising health care costs, negative prior period claims reserve developments, trends in medical care ratios, unexpected utilization patterns or unexpectedly severe or widespread illnesses, membership declines, rate cuts affecting our Medicare or Medicaid business, issues relating to provider contracts, litigation costs, regulatory issues, operational issues, health care reform and general business conditions. Additional factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the risks discussed in the "Risk Factors" section included within the company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly revise these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that arise after the date of this release.

Those with Health Net Insurance Have Access to Medical Care at Big
Bear Valley Hospital