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Punxsutawney Area Hospital Joins UPMC Health Plan's Medicare Network

PITTSBURGH (February 28, 2006) - Effective immediately, Punxsutawney Area Hospital will be a participating provider in UPMC Health Plan's growing Medicare network. The hospital will accept both UPMC for Life's Medicare HMO and PPO products.

Punxsutawney Area Hospital is a non-profit, 44-bed, general medical and surgical hospital. This facility joins Brookville Hospital in serving our UPMC for Life members residing in Jefferson County. The hospital is located at 81 Hillcrest Drive in Punxsutawney.

In November 2005, Hamot Medical Center in Erie also joined UPMC for Life's Medicare network.

"Our Medicare product has been growing rapidly as Western Pennsylvania recognizes the benefits offered by UPMC for Life," said Cathy Batteer, UPMC for Life vice president. "The Jefferson County area represents an important market for us, and we're excited to have Punxsutawney Area Hospital in our network."

UPMC for Life's Medicare product grew by nearly 35 percent in 2005.

About UPMC Health Plan
UPMC Health Plan, a leading health care benefits company located in Western Pennsylvania, is backed by the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), one of the nation's top-ranked health systems. As part of an integrated health care delivery system, UPMC Health Plan partners with UPMC to improve clinical outcomes as well as the health of the greater community. The National Committee for Quality Assurance and U.S. News & World Report listed UPMC Health Plan as the top ranked health plan in Pennsylvania, and one of the top 20 health plans in the United States. The Health Plan is the only Pennsylvania plan to receive five stars in the categories of "Prevention" and "Treatment," and is the highest-ranked managed care company in the nation for breast cancer screening, for the second consecutive year. The UPMC Insurance Services Division - which includes UPMC Health Plan, UPMC for You (Medical Assistance), Community Care Behavioral Health, and EAP Solutions - serves over 700,000 members through a network that includes UPMC providers as well as affiliated hospitals and physicians, totaling more than 80 hospitals and more than 7,000 physicians in a 28-county region.

Contact: Michael Taylor, 412-454-7534

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