Coventry Health Care Appoints Allen Wise as Executive Chairman.

BETHESDA, Md. -- Coventry Health Care, Inc. (NYSE: CVH) announced the appointment of Allen Wise to the expanded role of Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors. Wise has more than 30 years of experience overseeing a broad spectrum of managed care businesses, including 8 years as the CEO of Coventry. Since his retirement as CEO of the company at the end of 2004, Mr. Wise has served as the non-Executive Chairman of the company's Board of Directors. Wise will focus his efforts on advising the management team and the Board of Directors on matters of significant importance to the future of the company.

Dale B. Wolf, chief executive officer of Coventry, commented, "Allen was a key player in building the Company over many years and his counsel will assist us in leveraging the strong platform we have in the coming years."

Mr. Wise added, "Coventry is a great franchise with proven leadership and a strong financial position. The combination of the current economic, financial and political situations creates a complex operating environment. I plan to work with management and the Board of Directors to ensure that we are successfully executing on the many business opportunities available to us."

Coventry Health Care (www.coventryhealthcare.com) is a diversified national managed healthcare company based in Bethesda, Maryland, operating health plans, insurance companies, network rental and workers' compensation services companies. Through its Commercial Business, Individual Consumer & Government Business, and Specialty Business divisions, Coventry provides a full range of risk and fee-based managed care products and services to a broad cross section of individuals, employer and government-funded groups, government agencies, and other insurance carriers and administrators.