Delta Dental Plans of Michigan, Ohio and Indiana Become ISO 9001 Certified; Company is First Health Benefits Carrier in the World to Achieve Distinction of Excellence.

Business Editors

OKEMOS, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 3, 2002

"ISO 9001 certification is your guarantee that Delta Dental operates under quality procedures and systems that meet the most rigorous standards of excellence in the world," said Dr. Thomas Fleszar, president and CEO of Delta Dental Plan of Michigan and its affiliated plans in Ohio and Indiana.

Fleszar announced that the tri-state operation, the second largest Delta Dental plan in the U.S., is now the first and only carrier in the health benefits industry worldwide to achieve ISO 9001 certification. It joins a distinguished roster of companies, including Delta Dental customers like General Motors and DaimlerChrysler, in ensuring that quality policies and processes meet an international gold standard.

"We see this as another powerful difference that sets us apart in the marketplace and demonstrates our long-standing commitment to providing quality to our customers," said Fleszar.

The quality assurance standards developed by the International Organization for Standardization in Geneva, Switzerland are extremely rigorous. Certification provides independent confirmation to Delta Dental's customers that it has documented quality procedures and systems in place and continually works toward improvement.

"Saying that one is committed to quality is one thing; proving it is another," said Fleszar. "Delta Dental's employees prove it every day, whether they are handling customer inquiries, processing claims or developing innovative business solutions. Our long-standing commitment to quality has driven our success; our meticulous documentation of quality standards has earned us ISO 9001 certification. We are extremely proud."

Deloitte & Touche Quality Registrar Inc. is an official ISO registrar and conducted an extensive audit of Delta Dental's operation. Based on its findings, the registrar recommended the company for ISO 9001 certification. In their report, the auditors stated, "Although the entire system was effectively implemented, three areas - internal quality audit, continuous improvement and management responsibility - demonstrated levels of excellence significantly beyond that normally witnessed."

The International Organization for Standardization has been developing standards over almost all sectors of business, industry and technology since 1947. For many decades, the standards applied mainly to engineering and manufacturing and were highly specific. For instance, ISO standards for bolts, nuts and screws literally helped stop much of the world from falling apart. The format of credit cards and phone cards were developed according to ISO standards (such as defining thickness) so they could be used worldwide.

In 2000, ISO 9001 standards were developed, expanding their scope to all organizations by focusing on quality, customers and continuous improvement. "ISO 9001 certification means we say what we do, we do what we say, we prove it and improve it," said Laura Czelada, director of Corporate Audit and Quality Assurance.

Delta Dental Plan of Michigan, with its affiliates in Ohio and Indiana, is the leading group dental benefits provider in the Midwest. The company pays out nearly $1 billion for dental care for more than 4.6 million members. Considered an industry leader in dental benefit design, claims administration and cost management, the company provides coverage for over 4,000 groups including General Motors, DaimlerChrysler, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, Kimball International and the State of Michigan. The company's headquarters is located in Okemos, Michigan with offices in Farmington Hills and Grand Rapids, Michigan; Columbus and Cleveland, Ohio; and, Indianapolis, Indiana. For additional information, visit www.deltadentalmi.com (Michigan), www.deltadentaloh.com (Ohio) and www.deltadentalin.com (Indiana).