UnitedHealthcare Dental Provides Customers With A Tool That Shows The True Cost Of Dental Care

BALTIMORE, MD (May 31, 2006) - Families trying to fit health care costs into their budgets are getting some help from one national dental insurer.  As part of its continuing effort to make it easier for consumers to understand the cost of their health care, UnitedHealthcare Dental, a part of UnitedHealth Group, is giving its members access to a new online tool to learn the actual cost of any procedure performed by a network dentist.  Unlike treatment cost estimators offered by some other dental plans, the UnitedHealthcare Dental Treatment Cost Calculator is a true calculator that is based on an individual’s specific dental benefit information.  The Treatment Cost Calculator can also be used to compare costs of dental procedures between in- and out-of-network dentists.

By going via the Internet to the new Treatment Cost Calculator (at www.myuhcdental.com) UnitedHealthcare Dental plan members can learn in advance what they will pay in out-of-pocket charges for selected dental procedures under their current plan.  In addition, they can compare the costs charged by different providers within the network and outside the network.  This easy-to-use calculator also identifies any applicable benefit limitations.

"We believe that our Treatment Cost Calculator is the only one of its kind in the dental benefits industry.  By using it, members will know up front what their out-of-pocket costs will be for a dental procedure based on their own benefit plan and selected dentist," said David Hall, President and CEO of Spectera UnitedHealthcare Dental.   "This new tool is part of our continuing effort to help members make the most informed decisions possible about their dental care.  Transparency is only useful if that is the result.  We have an opportunity to help consumers understand the cost implications of their dental health decisions."

The Dental Treatment Cost Calculator is part of a $3 billion investment in technology that UnitedHealth Group has made over the last five years.  The calculator is just one of several tools to provide transparency and make it easier for consumers to be more informed about their personal health decisions, including 24/7 NurseLine services, centers of excellence for transplantation and cancer care, and use of magnetic stripe ID cards.

Spectera UnitedHealthcare Dental  www.spectera.com

Based in Maryland, Spectera UnitedHealthcare Dental, part of UnitedHealth Group, provides more than 20 million people with access to high quality, affordable vision and dental benefits that are easy to use.

About UnitedHealth Group www.unitedhealthgroup.com

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) is a diversified health and well-being company dedicated to making health care work better. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn., the company offers a broad spectrum of products and services through six operating businesses: UnitedHealthcare, Ovations, AmeriChoice, Uniprise, Specialized Care Services and Ingenix. Through its family of businesses, UnitedHealth Group serves approximately 70 million individuals nationwide.

Contact:

Jeannette A. Duerr, APR
UnitedHealthcare Dental
443-316-2140 (office)
443-286-6777 (mobile)