MINNEAPOLIS, June 30  - UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) today reaffirmed that its Medicare Supplement Insurance plans offered to AARP members provide an excellent and long-established alternative to Medicare+Choice HMO products and remain available in the wake of the Medicare+Choice HMO product withdrawals by many companies in selected markets.

Medicare typically covers roughly eighty percent of a person's medical expenses once they become eligible for Medicare.  The remaining twenty percent is the responsibility of the individual and can lead to significant out of pocket costs for essential health care treatments.  Medicare Supplement Insurance ("Medigap") provides coverage for these out of pocket expenses, including coverage for prescription drugs under certain plans.

"Medigap insurance is an extremely important supplement to the basic benefits provided by Medicare," said Tom Lindquist, President of the division of UnitedHealth Group that makes its Medigap plans available to AARP members. "We are pleased to continue the Medigap offerings as an alternative to the Medicare+Choice HMO product."

Through the AARP Health Care Options program, UnitedHealth Group offers all ten standard Medigap plans allowed by law.  In most states, AARP members can choose among a variety of these plans, three of which provide coverage for prescription drugs.  Medicare Supplement Insurance continues to be a stable and reliable health care product for all eligible AARP members.  Premiums do not increase with a person's age, and special rates are available in certain states for persons who enroll soon after becoming eligible for Medicare.  For over twenty years, AARP has brought affordable and accessible health insurance products to millions of AARP members.

Unlike the Medicare+Choice program, Medigap plans are guaranteed renewable -- members cannot be terminated once they receive coverage, unless they fail to pay their premium or commit fraud.  In addition, members with traditional AARP Medigap plans can see any doctor they choose -- there are no provider networks or other restrictions on doctor choice.

Participants in AARP Health Care Options also can take advantage of AARP Eye Health Services, which provides discounts on eyewear and eye care, and AARP's Prescription Savings Service, which provides discounts on prescription drugs and over-the-counter health and beauty aids.  These services are provided at no additional cost.

UnitedHealth Group provides a variety of health insurance plans for AARP's members. UnitedHealth Group is organized into six businesses: UnitedHealthcare, Uniprise, Ovations, Specialized Care Services, Ingenix, and UnitedHealth Capital.  The products and services provided to AARP members by UnitedHealth Group are managed by Ovations, UnitedHealth Group's company dedicated to serving the health and well-being needs of people 50 and older.

Information about other AARP health insurance and services, including products offered by UnitedHealth Group, is available at http://www.aarphealthcare.com