DE PERE, Wis., Dec. 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- HumanaDental, the dental insurance subsidiary of Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM), announced today that its nationwide preferred provider network of dentists now exceeds 55,000 dentist locations, the result of a year-long campaign to expand the network.

"This enhances HumanaDental's position as one of the nation's largest dental benefits companies, enabling us to serve large national and multi-state employer groups," said Jerry Ganoni, HumanaDental president. "Consumers and employers who choose HumanaDental benefit from a wide selection of dentists and access to money saving discounts, and a broad network is especially advantageous for those who work or travel away from home."

In late 2002, HumanaDental began working to aggressively grow its nationwide network, reaching out to dentists through direct mail and personal contacts, while emphasizing the financial advantages and administrative ease of working with the company. HumanaDental also held educational seminars at some of the nation's leading dental schools, designed to explain how insurers interact with dental practices. In all, the campaign has helped HumanaDental add more than 20,000 dentist locations to its network since October, 2002.

"We place great value on our relationships with dentists, and we strive to extend to them the same kind of professional courtesy and service that we extend to our customers," said Ganoni, pointing out that more than 96 percent of dentists who join HumanaDental's network remain in the network. "Continuing to grow and fine-tune the network remains a top priority for HumanaDental."

HumanaDental now contracts with dentists in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, having established its most extensive network relationships in 24 states where the company maintains its largest business presence.

About HumanaDental --

HumanaDental, based near Green Bay, Wis., offers dental coverage for employer groups through a variety of plans, including dental health maintenance organizations, preferred provider organizations, traditional and self-funded products. HumanaDental Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Humana Inc. More information on HumanaDental is available online at www.humanadental.com .

About Humana --

Humana Inc., headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, is one of the nation's largest publicly traded health benefits companies, with approximately 6.6 million medical members located primarily in 18 states and Puerto Rico. Humana offers coordinated health insurance coverage and related services through traditional and Internet based plans -- to employer groups, government- sponsored plans, and individuals.

More information regarding Humana is available via the Internet at www.humana.com , including on-line:

     - Copies of annual reports to stockholders;
     - Copies of Securities and Exchange Commission filings;
     - Copy of most recent investor presentation;
     - Copies of quarterly earnings press releases;
     - Audio archive of the most recent earnings release conference call;
     - Calendar of events (includes upcoming earnings conference call dates,
       related conference call access number, and planned participation in
       investor conferences).

SOURCE Humana Inc.