- Two Unique 'Consumer-Driven' Health Insurance Plans Feature a Personal Spending Account That Encourages Enrollees to Stay Healthy

- Four New Individual PPO Health Plans Match Many Group Health Plan Benefits

Committed to offering "consumer-driven" health plans that provide individuals choice, flexibility and affordability, PacifiCare Health Systems Inc. (NYSE:PHS) introduces new PPO product and Self-Directed Health Plan offerings for individual health care consumers in Texas.

The PacifiCare SignatureFreedom Self Directed Health Plan (SDHP) offers consumers the freedom and flexibility of a traditional PPO plan with the added feature of a Self Directed Account. This personal spending account of $1,000 per year is used to pay for covered health care expenses. Consumers may use money from their Self Directed Accounts to pay for eligible health care expenses until the account is exhausted. In many cases, consumers may not have any out-of-pocket costs all year, because the account will cover wellness and preventive services. Unused dollars are rolled over from year to year allowing consumers to save their SDA dollars until needed.

Self Directed Health Individual Plan enrollees have complete access to their claims history and Self Directed Account balances through the member portal at www.pacificare.com. Enrollees can also access cost guides for prescription drug expenses and guides for hospital and physician expenses.

Since the initial launch in January 2003, PacifiCare's SignatureFreedom Self Directed Health Plans for large and small businesses have empowered employees with greater independence by affording them direct control of their "personal" health care funds. To date, more than 5,000 employers, representing nearly 85,000 members, have opted for PacifiCare's SignatureFreedom Plan.

"Consumers who are having to share a greater cost of their health care are demanding flexibility, choice and control in how they allocate and spend their health care dollars," said Brad Bowlus, president & chief executive officer for PacifiCare Health Plans. "The response to our Self Directed Health Plans has been overwhelming, particularly among individuals who are typically more price-sensitive when it comes to health insurance coverage."

PacifiCare's new Individual PPO plans reflect the company's transition into a consumer health organization offering new products and services and responding to increasing consumer demand for more health care choices beyond employer-based coverage. The plans provide a range of premiums, deductibles and benefits from which to choose and offer a large choice of primary care doctors and specialists within PacifiCare's extensive provider network.

Individual PPO health plan members and Self-Directed Health Plan members can participate in PacifiCare's Disease Management programs, such as Taking Charge of Diabetes(SM), Taking Charge of Your Heart Health(SM) and Stop Smoking(SM). PacifiCare developed its Disease Management programs to help enhance care as well as the quality of members' lives. The services and treatments included in the disease management programs are designed to help improve outcomes, better treat diseases and/or alleviate the member's pain and symptoms.

"We believe these new product offerings will provide more affordable and flexible health care options for individual consumers throughout Texas," Bowlus added.

Enrollment information for the SignatureFreedom Self Directed Health Individual Plans and Individual PPO Plans is available online at www.pacificare.com or by calling 800-577-0001.

PacifiCare Health Systems is one of the nation's largest consumer health organizations with nearly 3.2 million health plan members and approximately 11.3 million specialty plan members nationwide. PacifiCare offers individuals, employers and Medicare beneficiaries a variety of consumer-driven health care and life insurance products. Specialty plan operations include behavioral health, dental and vision, and complete pharmacy benefit management through its wholly owned subsidiary, Prescription Solutions. More information on PacifiCare Health Systems is available at www.pacificare.com.

Source: PacifiCare Health Systems Inc.

CONTACT: Cheryl Randolph, Media Relations of PacifiCare Health Systems
Inc., +1-714-226-3441, cheryl.randolph@phs.com

Web site: http://www.pacificare.com/