AmerUs Group Announces Third Quarter 2005 Earnings Date, Conference Call and Webcast.

DES MOINES, Iowa -- AmerUs Group Co. (NYSE:AMH), a leading producer of life insurance and annuity products, today announced it plans to report third quarter earnings after the close of the market on Tuesday, October 25, 2005. Additionally, the company plans to hold a conference call at 10:00 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, October 26, 2005. Investors and interested parties may listen to the call by dialing toll free 888-469-0487 (international callers, please dial 773-756-0455) approximately 10 minutes prior to the start of the conference call. The pass code for the call is 'AmerUs.'

The conference call will discuss the company's quarterly operating and sales results, reported earnings and the company's outlook, among other items.

The conference call also will be webcast over the Internet. Investors and interested parties who wish to listen to the call on the Internet may do so by visiting the company's website at: www.amerus.com under the 'Investor Relations' section of the home page.

Anyone unable to participate in the teleconference may listen to a recording by calling toll free 866-463-4181 (international callers, please dial 203-369-1389). The replay will be available one hour after the conference call has ended and will be accessible through November 2, 2005.

AmerUs Group Co. is an Iowa corporation located in Des Moines, Iowa, engaged through its subsidiaries in the business of marketing and distributing individual life insurance and annuity products in 50 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Its major operating subsidiaries include AmerUs Life Insurance Company, American Investors Life Insurance Company, Inc., Indianapolis Life Insurance Company and Bankers Life Insurance Company of New York.

As of June 30, 2005, AmerUs Group's total assets were $24.2 billion and shareholders' equity totaled $1.7 billion, including accumulated other comprehensive income.