AmerUs Group Co. Announces Extension of Cash Tender Offer and Consent Solicitation for Its 6.583% Senior Notes Due 2011 and 5.95% Senior Notes Due 2015.

DES MOINES, Iowa -- AmerUs Group Co. ("Company") announced today that it has extended the consent expiration date with respect to its previously announced cash tender offer and consent solicitation for any and all of its outstanding 6.583% Senior Notes due 2011 (CUSIP Number 03072M504) (the "2011 Notes") and 5.95% Senior Notes due 2015 (CUSIP No. 03072MAG3) (the "2015 Notes") to 5 p.m. New York City time, on December 13, 2006 ("Consent Expiration Date"), unless terminated or further extended.

Pursuant to the terms of the Company's Offer to Purchase and Consent Solicitation Statement and related Consent and Letter of Transmittal, each dated November 28, 2006 (as modified by the extension noted above, the "Offer to Purchase"), as a result of the extension of the consent solicitation with respect to the 2011 Notes and the 2015 Notes, the price determination date for each of the 2011 Notes and the 2015 Notes will be extended. The purchase price for each of the 2011 Notes and the 2015 Notes will now be determined as of 11 a.m., New York City time, on December 14, 2006, unless otherwise extended.

Pursuant to the Offer to Purchase, holders of 2011 Notes and 2015 Notes who tender on or prior to the Consent Expiration Date are entitled to received a consent payment of $20 for each $1,000 of notes tendered (the "Consent Payment") if such notes are accepted for purchase by the Company. Holders who tender their 2011 Notes or 2015 Notes after the Consent Expiration Date but at or prior to 11:59 p.m., New York City time, on December 26, 2006, will be not be eligible to receive such Consent Payment even if such notes are accepted for purchase by the Company.

Holders tendering 2011 Notes or 2015 Notes will be required to consent to proposed amendments to the respective indenture governing such notes, which will eliminate substantially all of the restrictive covenants, including reporting and record keeping obligations, and certain events of default contained in each indenture, as well as delete the covenant in each indenture regarding mergers, consolidations and transfers of the Company's properties and assets in its entirety. Adoption of the proposed amendments with respect to either the 2011 Notes or the 2015 Notes requires the consent of at least a majority of the outstanding principal amount of such series of notes. The consummation of the tender offer and consent solicitation with respect to both the 2011 Notes and the 2015 Notes is subject to the conditions set forth in the Offer to Purchase.

The tender offer and consent solicitation with respect to the 2011 Notes and the 2015 Notes are being made upon the terms, and subject to the conditions, set forth in the Offer to Purchase, which more fully sets forth the terms of the tender offer and consent solicitation. The tender offers with respect to each of the 2011 Notes and the 2015 Notes is still scheduled to expire at 12 midnight New York City time, on December 26, 2006, unless terminated or further extended.

For additional information regarding the terms of the tender offer and consent solicitation, please contact: Citigroup Corporate and Investment Banking at [phone] (toll free). Requests for documents and questions regarding the tendering of notes may be directed to Global Bondholder Services Corporation at [phone] (toll free) or [phone] (collect).

AmerUs Group Co.'s obligations to accept any 2011 Notes or 2015 Notes tendered and to pay the applicable consideration for them are set forth solely in the Offer to Purchase. This press release is not an offer to purchase or a solicitation of acceptance of the tender offer. The Company may amend, extend or, subject to certain conditions, terminate the tender offer with respect to either series of notes for which the Company has tendered.

Forward-looking statements 

Certain statements contained in this press release, including statements that are not historical facts, may be forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements may include information about possible or assumed future events and usually contain words such as: believes, may, anticipates, intends, expects, estimates, and other similar expressions. Such statements involve certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions that may change at any time. Therefore, actual results may differ materially from expected results due to a variety of factors, some of which are set forth in Item 1A. Risk Factors contained in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2005, as updated by Item 1A. Risk Factors contained in the Company's Forms 10-Q for the periods ended March 31, 2006, June 30, 2006 and September 30, 2006. In the light of these risks and uncertainties you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

About AmerUs Group Co.

The Company is a holding company whose subsidiaries are primarily engaged in the business of marketing, underwriting and distributing a broad range of individual life, annuity and insurance deposit products to individuals and businesses in 50 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

On November 15, 2006, pursuant to an Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of July 12, 2006, by and among Aviva plc ("Aviva"), a public limited company organized under the laws of England and Wales, Libra Acquisition Corporation ("Merger Sub"), an Iowa corporation and an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Aviva, and the Company, Merger Sub merged with and into the Company, and the Company continued after the Merger as an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Aviva.

The Company's principal executive offices are located at 699 Walnut Street, Des Moines, Iowa 50309-3948, and its telephone number is [phone]. For more information on the Company, visit the website: www.amerus.com.