LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 19, 2007--Health Net, Inc. (NYSE:HNT) today announced the appointment of Paul Lambdin as president of Health Net of the Northeast. Lambdin, 46, currently serves as Health Net of the Northeast's chief commercial and Medicaid Officer, and assumes the role of president from Steven H. Nelson, who has served as president since January 2005. Nelson has decided to leave Health Net, effective November 30, 2007, and will join UnitedHealth Group.

Lambdin has been responsible for managing all of Health Net's commercial and Medicaid business in the Northeast since 2006. He joined Health Net in 2002 as the chief sales officer and was promoted to chief commercial officer in 2005.

"We want to thank Steve for his leadership and commitment to the company," said Stephen Lynch, president of the company's new Health Plan division. "His leadership has made Health Net of the Northeast one of the top-ten rated health plans in the nation."

"The Northeast is a complex and competitive market that demands a strategic leader with deep knowledge of the marketplace," said Lynch. "Paul is that proven leader who will continue to work collaboratively with customers to find innovative ways to meet their health care needs."

"I am excited to lead an organization that truly believes in putting the member at the center of everything we do," said Lambdin. "I look forward to working with the executive team and our associates in realizing our vision of providing best in class customer solutions."

Prior to joining Health Net, Lambdin was senior vice president, Business Development and Distribution, for United Healthcare in Edina, Minn. He also served as a regional vice president of Sales, with distribution responsibilities for health plans in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. He spent the first 13 years of his career at The Prudential Insurance Company of America, Inc., where he held various sales, health care delivery and business development positions.

Lambdin earned his bachelor's degree from Yale University and an M.B.A. in Finance from New York University's Stern School of Business. He also holds the Chartered Life Underwriter and Chartered Financial Consultant designations.

About Health Net

Health Net, Inc. is among the nation's largest publicly traded managed health care companies. Its mission is to help people be healthy, secure and comfortable. The company's health plans and government contracts subsidiaries provide health benefits to approximately 6.7 million individuals across the country through group, individual, Medicare, Medicaid and TRICARE and Veterans Affairs programs. Health Net's behavioral health subsidiary, MHN, provides mental health benefits to approximately 7.0 million individuals in all 50 states. The company's subsidiaries also offer managed health care products related to prescription drugs, and offer managed health care product coordination for multi-region employers and administrative services for medical groups and self-funded benefits programs.

For more information on Health Net, Inc., please visit the company's Web site at www.healthnet.com.

Cautionary Statements

Health Net, Inc. and its representatives may from time to time make written and oral forward-looking statements, including statements contained in news releases, in Health Net's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, in the company's reports to shareholders and in meetings with investors and analysts, within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. All statements, other than statements of historical information provided herein, may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. These statements are based on management's analysis, judgment, belief and expectation only as of the date hereof, and are subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances. Without limiting the foregoing, the words "believes," "anticipates," "plans," "expects," "may," "should," "could," "estimate," "intend" and other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Actual results could differ materially due to, among other things, rising health care costs, negative prior period claims reserve developments, trends in medical care ratios, issues relating to provider contracts, litigation costs, regulatory issues, operational issues, health care reform and general business conditions. Additional factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the risks discussed in the "Risk Factors" section included within the company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly revise these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that arise after the date of this release.