BETHESDA, Md. (May 29, 2012) - Coventry Health Care, Inc. (NYSE:CVH - News) announced today that its Board of Directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.125 per common share payable on July 9, 2012 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on June 21, 2012.

Coventry Health Care (www.coventryhealthcare.com) is a diversified national managed healthcare company based in Bethesda, Maryland, operating health plans, insurance companies, network rental and workers` compensation services companies. Coventry provides a full range of risk and fee-based managed care products and services to a broad cross section of individuals, employer and government-funded groups, government agencies, and other insurance carriers and administrators.

Contact:

Randy Giles Chief Financial Officer (301) 581-5687

Drew Asher SVP, Corporate Finance (301) 581-5717

The owner of this announcement warrants that: (i) the releases contained herein are protected by copyright and other applicable laws; and (ii) they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein.

Source: Coventry Health Care, Inc. via Thomson Reuters ONE HUG#1615772

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Coventry Health Care Declares Quarterly Cash Dividend

WASHINGTON, May 29, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --  National Underwriter Life & Health magazine, a Summit Business Media publication received honorable mention at the Eighteenth Annual Health Care Journalism and ...

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Summit Business Media Publication Receives Honorable Mention at 2012 Health Care Journalism and Research Awards

PROVIDENCE A bevy of national experts came to Rhode Island on May 22 to discuss how best to grow patient-centered medical homes, at a think tank gathering hosted by the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University.

In the audience were many of Rhode Islands top echelon of health care policy experts R.I. Health Insurance Commissioner Christopher F. Koller, Lt. Gov. Elizabeth H. Roberts, Rhode Island Quality Institute President and CEO Laura Adams, and Dr. Michael Fine, director of the R.I. Department of Health.

The experts presented a strong challenge to the current way of doing business within the health care delivery system, detailing examples of successful patient-centered medical homes in Alaska and Vermont that had transformed the business of health care.

Dr. Douglas Eby, the vice president of Medical Service for South-Central Foundation, Alaska Native Medical Center, talked about the importance of preparing the soil in order to grow a successful model of health care delivery. Instead of organizing around the needs of the provider, with an emphasis on tests, diagnosis and treatment, Ebys Alaska health care model changed the emphasis to a customer-owned model, defining health care as a longitudinal experience, with messy human relationships in play all the time.

The results achieved by Ebys model of health care over the last decade included a 50 percent drop in urgent care and ER utilization, a 53 percent drop in hospital admissions, a 65 percent drop in specialist utilization as well as evidence-based generational change in reducing family violence.

The shift to delivering health in a community context, rather than disease care, involved changing the workflow patterns. It began with learning to listen at least 10 different ways at all times, an investment in mentoring for all clinicians and management, and a way to re-humanize the story, defining care for a defined population.

In turn, Eby lambasted the idea that following LEAN methods or Six Sigma standards will change the delivery of health care. He saw it instead as turning health care into an industry production process.

Dr. Craig Jones, director of the Vermont Blueprint for Health, detailed the environmental factors that are necessary to support the growth of patient-centered medical homes, describing Vermonts experience of building a community-based network of teams to support an integrated health care system. As a result, Vermont has seen a drop of more than 27 percent in the projected cost avoidance across its total commercial insurer population in 2010.

Dr. Paul Grundy, global director of IBMs Healthcare Transformation, began by praising Rhode Islands leadership in developing patient-centered medical homes. The focus in Rhode Island, he continued, needs to be on reducing the health costs of employees.

In a conversation before the event, Dr. Frank Basile, an internist with University Medicine, an early adopter of patient-centered medical homes in Rhode Island, suggested that there was a need in Rhode Island to recognize that the patient-centered medical home was a small business that generates jobs.

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A new model of health care

TALLAHASSEE -- Public employee unions are challenging a state budget provision calling for the privatization of health care in Florida's prisons.

Circuit Judge Kevin Carroll held a hearing Tuesday in Tallahassee and said he hoped to rule next week.

Carroll, though, acknowledged the case will be appealed regardless of his decision.

It is similar to another prison privatization case set for oral argument June 27 in the 1st District Court of Appeal.

The state is appealing another Tallahassee judge's ruling that struck down a budget provision requiring privatization of prison facilities in South Florida.

Circuit Judge Jackie Fulford ruled the Republican-led Legislature violated the Florida Constitution by using the budget to make a substantive change in state law instead of passing a stand-alone bill.

Such a bill subsequently was defeated.

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Fla. prison health care privatization challenged

SAN FRANCISCO -- House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said Tuesday that she expects the U.S. Supreme Court next month to uphold President Barack Obama's signature legislation, the Affordable Care Act.

"We believe that this bill constitutionally is ironclad," she told a crowd of about 550 at a Commonwealth Club event at the Fairmont Hotel. "I expect a 6-3 'aye' verdict from the Supreme Court."

Pelosi, whose discussion with the club was meant to commemorate her 25th anniversary in Congress, said the law is among her proudest legislative accomplishments. More than 80 million Americans -- young people allowed to remain on their parents' policies, children with pre-existing conditions, people availing themselves of preventive care -- already have benefited from its provisions, she said.

She said she finds it ironic that some Republican lawmakers just a few years ago were engaging in "court-stripping," writing sections into bills in an attempt to make them impervious to courts. But once the Affordable Care Act was signed into law, she said, "all of a sudden we have these newfound advocates for judicial review."

Pelosi called Obama's newfound support of same-sex marriage "all great ... so beautifully spoken, so heartfelt, so personal."

"He made a values judgment," she said, noting that it would've been a more overtly political move to remain silent.

Pelosi, a San Francisco resident, is the first woman to have served as Speaker

Asked about the deep partisan divides that have stymied significant progress on many issues, Pelosi replied, "It doesn't have to be this way, and it hasn't always been." Under President George H.W. Bush and even under President George W. Bush, she said, Democrats and Republicans still were able to find some common ground on certain key issues.

Pelosi said today's Republicans aren't obstructionists purely because of political gamesmanship. They simply don't believe in a public role in job creation, social services and so forth, she added.

"Bless their hearts, they do what they believe, and they don't believe in government," she said.

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Pelosi predicts court will uphold health care reform

Despite efforts to lower the cost of health care, small businesses are still struggling to cover the expense.

According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, small businesses pay premiums that are 18% higher on average than large businesses pay for the same coverage. Whats more, the SBA says small businesses have higher administrative costs to set up and maintain the plans and less bargaining power in negotiating with insurance companies.

On top of that, health-care reform, which was supposed to save small businesses money, hasnt helped, according to John Cerasani, president of insurance brokerage Northwest Comprehensive. The fact of the matter is health-care reform didnt do anything to address the rising costs small business owners have, he says.

Given these challenges, here are four ways to save on rising health-care costs.

Shop Around

A common misconception among small business owners is that once they take out health insurance they are locked in for a period of time. But according to Anthony Lopez, small business consumer specialist at eHealthInsurance, health insurance can be a month-to-month expense, which means you can change plans at any time.

Theres a lot of different options, says Lopez. He says to shop around at least once every six months to make sure you are saving as much as possible.

Offer High Deductible Plans

These plans have lower premiums, but require the plan holder to pay a higher out of pocket deductible, which could motivate your employees to take better care of themselves.

High deductible health plans put the onus more on employees to take care of themselves in terms of managing expenses and costs, says Cerasani of Northwest Comprehensive. While high deductible plans may face resistance at big companies, Cerasani says small businesses are increasingly turning to high deductible plans as a way to offset costs.

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Four Ways to Save on Health Insurance

Jay Greene - Employers in Southeast Michigan expect to hold health care cost increases to 6 percent this year -- close to the national average of 5.

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Survey: Shifting costs help employers hold health expenses