Assurant Press Release 10/4/2005

Assurant Health’s John Alden Life Insurance Company Introduces Affordable EleMed™ Plan In Pennsylvania
Unique Group Plan Provides Small Businesses With Flexible Health Insurance Options For Uninsured Workers
Milwaukee – October 4, 2005 – Assurant Health launched today a new small group medical product – EleMed™ – in Pennsylvania that gives area small businesses an economical way to offer basic healthcare coverage to low-wage employees. The EleMed product is underwritten by John Alden Life Insurance Company and marketed by North Star Marketing.EleMed targets the growing population of employed but uninsured workers, a category that now includes nearly one-third of the 1.4 million Pennsylvania residents who live without health insurance.* These workers are either employed by small businesses that cannot afford benefits-rich traditional plans, or they cannot afford to participate in the plans their employers offer. Assurant Health developed EleMed based on consumer research conducted in markets across the country. Surveys showed that when small business owners consider purchasing or renewing health insurance, the determining factor is not services or accessibility, but cost. “EleMed targets an underserved market segment—start-up enterprises with tight budgets; businesses that operate in low-margin, low-wage industries like retail; and businesses that are especially vulnerable to sharply rising energy costs,” said Dave Keller, vice president of group marketing with Assurant Health. “With EleMed, more business owners can offer the health insurance benefits so important to attracting and retaining good workers.” EleMed combines low monthly premiums with benefits structured to address the needs of low-wage employees. Employers can choose from three plans that offer varying deductibles and co-pay structures. All feature generous first-dollar benefits on the services employees use most, including office visits, preventative care and prescriptions. Employees also benefit from an extensive healthcare network that gives them access to quality healthcare facilities and doctors at discounts of up to 60 percent. Keller concluded, “At Assurant Health, we are committed to helping reduce the country’s growing uninsured population, one business at a time.”