HumanaDental Plans Now Include Oral-Cancer Screening

Main Category: Cancer / Oncology
Also Included In: Dentistry
Article Date: 03 Apr 2008 - 1:00 PDT

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HumanaDental Insurance Co., part of the Humana Specialty Benefits family of supplemental benefits offered by Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM), will provide oral-cancer screening to HumanaDental members (age 40 and older) enrolled in the company's fully insured dental plans.

"One person dies of oral cancer every hour in the United States," said Mark Matzke, chief operating officer, HumanaDental. "Because early detection is the key to fighting this disease, we're pleased to offer this coverage as part of our commitment to promoting oral health, which is directly linked to overall health."

"ViziLite® Plus with TBlue630" - the cancer-screening procedure - is simple, quick, pain-free and effective. HumanaDental will cover the screening once a year beginning April 1, 2008.

An annual ViziLite Plus exam, after a conventional visual examination, represents an integral part of comprehensive oral-cancer screenings. The screenings help dentists detect oral cancer in its early stages, as well as precancerous tissue.

After the patient rinses with a special solution, the dentist examines the mouth with a disposable light stick. Under the light, abnormal tissue appears bright white; the dentist marks it with a temporary dye called TBlue630.

A recently published clinical study revealed that using ViziLite Plus with TBlue630 detected 100 percent of cancers and lesions at highest risk of becoming cancer. Oral cancer is found primarily in tobacco users or heavy drinkers, but new research shows a common strain of the sexually transmitted HPV virus also accounts for a significant percentage of all oral cancer cases in the U.S.

ViziLite Plus with TBlue630 is a product of Zila Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: ZILA); more information is available at www.vizilite.com. To learn more about oral cancer, visit www.oralcancerfoundation.org.

About HumanaDental

HumanaDental Insurance Company is one of the nation's ten largest U.S. dental insurers. HumanaDental's product portfolio features options to meet any employer's benefit and budget needs. HumanaDental's dentist network - now topping 106,000 dentist locations - enables members and their families to benefit from negotiated discounts by choosing in-network dentists.

HumanaDental markets and administers dental insurance plans under the license names HumanaDental Insurance Company, Employers Health Insurance Company, The Dental Concern Inc., and The Dental Concern, Ltd. More information on HumanaDental is available online at http://www.humanadental.com.

About Humana

Humana Inc., headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, is one of the nation's largest publicly traded health and supplemental benefits companies, with approximately 11.5 million medical members. Humana is a full-service benefits solutions company, offering a wide array of health and supplementary benefit plans for employer groups, government programs and individuals.

Over its 47-year history, Humana has consistently seized opportunities to meet changing customer needs. Today, the company is a leader in consumer engagement, providing guidance that leads to lower costs and a better health plan experience throughout its diversified customer portfolio.

More information regarding Humana is available to investors via the Investor Relations page of the company's web site at http://www.humana.com:

- Annual reports to stockholders
- Securities and Exchange Commission filings
- Most recent investor conference presentations
- Quarterly earnings news releases
- Replays of most recent earnings release conference calls
- Calendar of events (includes upcoming earnings conference call dates and times, as well as planned interaction with research analysts and institutional investors)
- Corporate Governance Information

http://www.humana.com