NEWS RELEASE

 November 9, 2009

 MEDIA CONTACT:

John Carroll, 706-494-3343 or 706-332-5926 (cell)

Director of Communications, Hughston Clinic

 Hughston Clinic and Jack Hughston Memorial Hospital renew contract with UnitedHealthcare

Columbus-based orthopaedic practice and Phenix City hospital reach agreement with United Healthcare

Columbus, GA (November 9, 2009) — Hughston Clinic and Jack Hughston Memorial Hospital have renewed their contract with national insurance carrier, UnitedHealthcare. The three-year contract will be effective Nov. 15, 2009.

The healthcare parties reached an agreement on Friday, Nov. 6. The new multiyear agreement will continue to provide UnitedHealthcare members with in-network access to healthcare services provided by physicians and medical professionals at Hughston Clinic and Jack Hughston Memorial Hospital.

“We are delighted that the thousands of United Healthcare members in Georgia, including school teachers, state workers and large employers, will continue to have access to the world-class orthopaedic physicians and healthcare facilities of Hughston Clinic and Jack Hughston Memorial Hospital,” said Mark A. Baker, chief executive officer of Hughston Clinic and Jack Hughston Memorial Hospital.

The agreement renews the partnership between Hughston and UnitedHealthcare in providing access to quality, affordable healthcare to UnitedHealthcare members. Terms of the new deal were not disclosed.

“We deeply appreciate the patience that our United patients demonstrated during our negotiations with UnitedHealthcare,” said Baker. “This is a positive development for everyone, especially our patients who trust Hughston for the highest level of orthopaedic care.”

About Hughston Clinic

 Based in Columbus, Ga., the Hughston Clinic (www.hughston.com) is a full-service orthopaedic practice with 20 surgeons and nine offices in Georgia and Alabama. Founded in 1949 by Dr. Jack C. Hughston, the Hughston Clinic is an internationally recognized center of excellence for the quality treatment and rehabilitation of musculoskeletal injuries and conditions.

About Jack Hughston Memorial Hospital

Located in Phenix City, Ala., Jack Hughston Memorial Hospital (www.jackhughstonmemorialhospital.com) offers surgery and healing in a private, physician-owned hospital. The state-of-the-art hospital features 70 private patient rooms, six operating suites, a friendly and specialized staff, the best in medical technology, and excellent patient satisfaction scores.

About UnitedHealthcare

UnitedHealthcare (www.unitedhealthcare.com) provides a full spectrum of consumer-oriented health benefit plans and services to individuals, public sector employers and businesses of all sizes, including more than half of the Fortune 100 companies. The company organizes access to quality, affordable health care services on behalf of more than 25 million individual consumers, contracting directly with approximately 590,000 physicians and care professionals and more than 4,900 hospitals to offer them broad, convenient access to services nationwide. UnitedHealthcare is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a diversified Fortune 50 health and well-being company.

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