UnumProvident Provides Testimony On Assistive Technology to Congressional Subcommittee.

Business Editors

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 25, 2002

UnumProvident (NYSE: UNM), the leader in disability income protection insurance and a pioneer of innovative and unique programs that help employees get back to work, provided testimony recently to the House Education and Workforce Subcommittee on 21st Century Competitiveness in support of the Assistive Technology Act of 1998.

The Assistive Technology Act was passed by Congress to provide grants to States to address the assistive technology needs of individuals with disabilities.

UnumProvident testified to assure that an often-neglected area of impact - the application of assistive technology within the work setting - received adequate representation in the Subcommittee's deliberations. Frequently, when considering the impact of the Assistive Technology Act, the focus is on individuals with catastrophic and permanent disability.

"More often than not, the issue around assistive technology and employment involves the `invisibly disabled,' those with marginal and/or temporary inability to work," explained Ralph Mohney, Senior Vice President, Return to Work Services. "UnumProvident and the employers we insure are committed to helping employees stay at work, and to returning employees to work when disability strikes. It is good business for the employer and the employee."

"Assistive technology is often critical to that process. For the small- and medium-sized employer who does not have the resources for internal assistive technology provision, the Act provides a critical link in the chain of events that leads to solutions instead of unemployment," he added.

In supporting the need for continuation of the Act and the state Assistive Technology projects which it funds, UnumProvident's testimony cited the Act's impact on the lives of many individuals with disabilities and the benefits to employers by providing tactical means to support the return-to-work efforts of their employees.

"When employers have the resources to return their disabled employees to work, they instantly have the capacity to implement early intervention solutions that can help employees stay at work in the first place. Similarly, when the stay-at-work problem is solvable, that same employer has taken a giant step toward developing the flexibility and capacity essential to hiring people with more permanent impairments in meaningful and productive capacities," Mohney said.

UnumProvident urged Congress to continue its support of the Act through maintaining and increasing state funding. "The Assistive Technology Act has made a difference for disabled employees of our company and of the people we serve," Mohney continued. "Our vocational rehabilitation consultants utilize the state resources funded by the Act, and we educate our employer customers to do the same. Our plan designs for employers involve research and consideration of assistive technology solutions. We understand that recovering from disability is an incremental process and this form of support is essential to address the stages of disability," he said.

"There is a great dignity associated with a person's ability to work and great value in the ability to live a full and independent lifestyle. This philosophy - and its focus on abilities - forms the foundation of our work at UnumProvident. Statistics show that the general population does want to be active in society and part of the workforce. For those of us in the income protection insurance industry, it is both our job and responsibility to ensure we make that opportunity a reality. It is essential for Congress to recognize the positive impact of the Assistive Technology Act and its contributions to economic competitiveness and employee productivity, both in past years and well into the future," he concluded.

About UnumProvident Corporation

The subsidiaries of UnumProvident Corporation (NYSE: UNM) offer a comprehensive, integrated portfolio of products and services backed by industry-leading return-to-work resources and disability expertise. UnumProvident is the leader(a) in income protection, providing insurance and services to individuals, both directly and through their employers. UnumProvident has more than 100 years of experience in creating innovative solutions that protect the rewards of work: paychecks, assets and lifestyles. UnumProvident was named one of Fortune's top ten most admired insurance companies. (b)UnumProvident Corporation has operations in the United States, Canada, the U.K., Japan, and elsewhere around the world. Company headquarters is in Chattanooga, Tenn. with significant U.S. operations in Portland, Maine; Worcester, Mass.; and Glendale, Calif. For more information, visit our website: www.unumprovident.com.

(a) UnumProvident represents multiple insuring subsidiaries of UnumProvident Corporation and includes the #1 group and individual insurance carriers in the United States and Canada, according to Employee Benefit Plan Review, May 2001, and LIMRA, May 2001.

(b) "America's Most Admired Companies." Fortune magazine, March 4, 2002.