a. Contributions: The Plan maintained two accounts, the Thrift Account and the Retirement Account, prior to January 1, 1994. No further contributions were accepted into the Thrift Account subsequent to December 31, 1993, as a new Pretax Savings Account was added to the Plan effective January 1, 1994.

Any employee of the Company who is employed with a sponsoring employer is eligible to participate in the Plan's Pretax Savings Account. A participant, through payroll deductions, may contribute not less than 1% nor more than 14% of the participant's annual compensation, not to exceed the Section 402(g) (of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986) limitation in effect for the calendar year, which was $10,500 and $10,000 for 2000 and 1999, respectively. Effective after January  1, 1998 on the date the Company so elects, an automatic contribution in the amount of 3% of the participant's compensation shall be made beginning on the employee's date of hire, unless the employee elects not to participate in the Pretax Savings Account or elects a different percentage up to 6%. As of December 31, 2000, the Company had not elected to begin this automatic contribution. The Company's matching contribution is equal to 50% of the participant's contribution up to 6% of the participant's annual compensation for any participating employee who has completed at least one year of service with at least 1,000 hours of service. The Board of Directors of the Company, at its option, may increase this matching percentage up to 100%. All matching contributions are funded bi-weekly and shall be invested in the Humana Common Stock Fund.

After an employee completes two years of service with a sponsoring employer and has complied with certain other service requirements, the Company makes annual contributions to the Retirement Account of the Plan equal to 4% of each participating employee's qualifying compensation earned during the plan year, plus 4% of any compensation that exceeds the social security taxable wage base. Contribution amounts are computed as of the end of each plan year and are nonforfeitable.

Contributions to the Plan by or on behalf of employees may be restricted in amount and as to timing so as to meet various requirements of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) of 1986 as amended.

Each participant's account is credited with the participant's contributions and the Company's contributions and the allocations of Plan earnings and charged with an allocation of administrative expenses. Allocations are based on participants' account balances.

a. Contributions, continued: Participants may allocate contributions to the Pretax Savings Account and the Company's contribution to the Retirement Account among various investment options in 1% increments. The Plan currently offers eight mutual funds and the Humana Common Stock Fund as investment options. In the absence of such allocation, contributions are invested in the Interest Income Fund. In connection with a change in allocation of a participant's or the Company's future contributions among the nine investment options and a change in the investment of existing accounts (Transfers), the value of Transfers to or from the Humana Common Stock Fund will reflect the price or prices at which all shares are purchased, sold or transferred before, on or after the participant's election rather than transferring strictly based on the value at the closing price.

Employee contributions are nonforfeitable. Participants who withdraw from the Pretax Savings Account prior to being credited with four years of participation or five years of service with the Company are eligible to receive generally the value of employer contributions at the withdrawal date, exclusive of those made during the two years preceding withdrawal. Employer contributions become totally nonforfeitable after the participant is credited with four years of participation in the Plan or five years of service with the Company. Forfeited balances of terminated participants' nonvested accounts are used to reduce future Company contributions. The benefit to which a participant is entitled is the benefit that can be provided from the participant's vested account.

Employer contributions forfeited as a result of withdrawal following termination of employment will be available to reduce the amount of subsequent employer contributions to the Pretax Savings Account. If a former participant is re-employed prior to five consecutive one-year breaks in service and repays the amount of his/her distribution, then any forfeited employer contributions are restored to his/her account.

b. Withdrawals: The value of a participant's interest, including employer contributions, is generally payable upon the occurrence of one of the following events: (1) the participant's retirement after attaining age 55; (2) a determination by the Company upon competent medical or other evidence that, by reason of permanent and total disability, the participant is incapable of performing the duties of his/her work; or (3) the participant's death.

A participant may generally withdraw an amount from the Thrift Account equal to the value of the participant's account as of the valuation date following the date the withdrawal request is received by the Plan Administrator. In the event funds are needed because of extreme financial hardship, as defined by law, the participant may be allowed to make a withdrawal of his/her vested account balance. In addition, the Plan contains restrictions relating to minimum withdrawals and the frequency of withdrawals.

b. Withdrawals, continued: Benefits under the Plan are payable to withdrawing participants, including retirees, as follows:

The Plan permits the employee to roll over contributions from another qualified plan. An employee must make a written request to the Plan for a rollover contribution. These contributions must comply with certain requirements before the Plan will authorize the rollover contribution.

Participants may borrow from their fund accounts. The aggregate of the loans to a participant shall not exceed the lesser of $50,000 or 50% of the vested portion of his/her participant contribution accounts, voluntary contribution accounts, plus his/her employer Thrift and Pretax Savings Accounts to which he/she would be entitled to if he/she incurred a termination of employment. The minimum a participant may borrow is $500. Loan transactions are treated as a transfer to (from) the various investment funds from (to) the Participant Notes Fund. Loan terms range from one to four years or up to ten years for the purchase of a primary residence. The loans are secured by the balance in the participant's account and bear interest at a reasonable rate in accordance with the Department of Labor's Rules and Regulations for Reporting and Disclosure under ERISA, as determined by the Plan Administrator. Principal and interest are repaid ratably through payroll deductions.

a. Basis of Accounting: The financial statements of the Plan are prepared under the accrual method of accounting. Withdrawals by participants are recorded when paid. Purchases and sales of securities are recorded on a trade-date basis. Interest income is recorded on the accrual basis. Dividends are recorded on the ex-dividend date.

b. Valuation of Investments: The fair value of the Plan's interest in the Master Trust is based on the beginning of the year value of the Plan's interest in the trust plus actual contributions and allocated investment income (reported net of administrative expenses) less actual distributions. Investments in securities traded on a national securities exchange are valued at the last reported sales price on the last business day of the year. Securities traded in the over-the-counter market and listed securities for which no sale was reported on that date are valued at the mean between the last reported bid and asked prices. Securities for which no market quotation was readily available are valued at fair value as determined by National City Trust, the trustee. Shares of registered investment companies are valued at quoted market prices which represent the net asset value of shares held by the Plan at year end. The Company stock is valued at its quoted market price. Participant notes receivable and investments in money market funds are valued at cost which approximates fair value.

Traditional and synthetic guaranteed investment contracts (GICs) with banks and insurance companies are fully benefit-responsive and are carried at contract value, which represents contributions, plus interest earned at specified rates, less withdrawals and administrative expenses. The collateralized mortgage obligations, bonds and asset-backed securities are recorded at fair value. These securities are not listed on a national securities exchange. The fair values represent the mean of bid and asked prices obtained from certified investment brokers.

The Plan presents in the accompanying statements of changes in net assets available for benefits the net appreciation or depreciation in fair value of investments which consists of both realized gains or losses and unrealized appreciation or depreciation.

c. Management Estimates: The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of net assets available for benefits and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the dates of the financial statements and the reported amounts of additions to and deductions from net assets during the reporting periods. Actual results could differ from those estimates.