FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 18, 2006

CMS APPROVES EXPANSION OF Citizens Choice Healthplan HMO TO ALL OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY AND NORTHERN ORANGE COUNTY

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (October 18, 2006) - Citizens Choice Healthplan HMO, a Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug Plan, has been approved by The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to expand its service area to include all of Los Angeles County and Northern Orange County.

CMS approved the expansion into 441 additional zip codes in Los Angeles County and 53 new zip codes in Northern Orange County.
Previously, the Medicare Health Plan was approved to serve a specific service area in the East and Southeast Los Angeles area. Citizens Choice Healthplan HMO currently serves approximately 2,000 members, 95 percent of them being Hispanic.
"Our niche has been our ability to serve the Hispanic elderly. Our newly approved service areas will allow us to extend our benefits deeper into diverse ethnic communities throughout Los Angeles and Northern Orange Counties", says Elizabeth S. Tejada, General Manager of the plan.

To facilitate its expanded service area, Citizens Choice Healthplan HMO has added to its contracted network with additional hospitals and medical group partners. In Los Angeles County, hospitals include: White Memorial Medical Center, Whittier Hospital Medical Center, San Gabriel Valley Medical Center, California Hospital Medical Center, Good Samaritan Hospital, Downey Regional Medical Center and St. Francis Medical Center. The health plan currently contracts with 30 area hospitals and 23 medical groups, offering more than 1750 primary care and specialty physicians.
In Northern Orange County, Citizens Choice Healthplan HMO contracts with 9 separate hospitals and offers its services exclusively through Prospect Medical Group.

About Citizens Choice Healthplan HMO
Citizens Choice Healthplan HMO delivers high quality care and service to its Medicare Advantage members. Based in Los Angeles, Citizens Choice Healthplan HMO works with diverse communities to promote health and wellness for its members. It offers its network providers a variety of contracts that enable them to better serve their Medicare and Medicare/Medi-Cal (Medi-Medi) population in Los Angeles and Northern Orange Counties.|

Citizens Choice Healthplan HMO is a Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug Plan that contracts with the Federal Government to provide services to eligible Medicare Part A and Part B recipients.

Citizens Choice Healthplan HMO can be reached at (323) 728-7232 or 1-866-634-CCHP (2247).