Writers' Guild-Industry Health Fund Taps PacifiCare Behavioral Health for Comprehensive Mental Health Benefits; - PBH to Provide Innovative Quality Programs and Benefits for Writers' Guild Members.

PacifiCare Behavioral Health (PBH), a national managed behavioral health care organization and subsidiary of PacifiCare Health Systems, Inc. , was selected by the Writers' Guild-Industry Health Fund (WGIHF) to provide comprehensive behavioral health care benefits and insurance coverage for 2004 through 2006.

The WGIHF represents 7,888 television and film writers and related professionals in the United States through its East and West Coast regional Guild offices.

Under terms of the three-year agreement, PBH will offer WGIHF plan participants inpatient and outpatient mental health and chemical dependency coverage with access to PBH's national network of 19,500 behavioral health clinicians and more than 900 facilities. In addition, plan participants will have an in-and-out-of-network benefit in support of the Guild's self-insured ERISA health plan coverage.

The WGIHF joins a growing list of entertainment companies and associations that have selected PBH based on its experience serving entertainment industry organizations. The Directors Guild of America Health Fund selected PBH for benefits management and coverage for its 7,000 plan participants effective January 2004. In addition, PBH provides behavioral health coverage to the Motion Picture Industry Pension and Health Plans as well as leading entertainment industry corporations.

As part of its thorough evaluation process, WGIHF's benefits consultant, Mercer Human Resource Consulting, benchmarked PBH's care management processes and program performance with national standards and performed a site visit to PBH's Western Region offices and call center in Van Nuys, Calif.

"PacifiCare Behavioral Health has a reputation for providing programs and benefits that enhance the quality of care for plan participants and help clinicians provide quality behavioral health care for their patients," said Thomas Hendricks, administrator of WGIHF. "As mental health care continues to take on prominence, we believe plans like PacifiCare Behavioral Health will become critical partners in helping us address cost and quality concerns."

"Our extensive experience serving the entertainment industry has made PacifiCare Behavioral Health a leader in the entertainment field for comprehensive behavioral health care services," said Jerry Vaccaro, M.D., president and chief executive officer of PacifiCare Behavioral Health. "We can tailor care programs that enhance treatment quality while effectively managing our customers' health care benefits budget. We're pleased to have been selected by the Writers' Guild-Industry Health Fund and look forward to serving its members in the years ahead."

About PacifiCare Behavioral Health

PacifiCare Behavioral Health (PBH) provides mental health, chemical dependency and employee assistance services to covered members and maintains a national network of behavioral health care practitioners. All three PBH Service Centers hold three-year, Full Accreditation from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), the most comprehensive and rigorous accrediting body for managed behavioral health care organizations. PacifiCare Behavioral Health is a wholly owned subsidiary of PacifiCare Health Systems, with clients including health plans, union trust funds, employers, school districts, and public sector agencies. More information on PacifiCare Behavioral Health can be obtained at http://www.pbhi.com/ .

About PacifiCare Health Systems

PacifiCare Health Systems is one of the nation's largest consumer health organizations with more than 3 million health plan members and approximately 9 million specialty plan members nationwide. PacifiCare offers individuals, employers and Medicare beneficiaries a variety of consumer-driven health care and life insurance products. Currently, more than 99 percent of PacifiCare's commercial health plan members are enrolled in plans that have received Excellent Accreditation by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). PacifiCare's specialty operations include behavioral health, dental and vision, and complete pharmacy and medical management through its wholly owned subsidiary, Prescription Solutions. More information on PacifiCare Health Systems is available at http://www.pacificare.com/ .

For further information, please contact Dagmar King, [phone], [e-mail], or Dan Miller, [phone], [e-mail], both of PacifiCare Health Systems.

CONTACT: Dagmar King, [phone], [e-mail], or Dan Miller, [phone], [e-mail], both of PacifiCare Health Systems

Web site: http://www.pacificare.com/ http://www.pbhi.com/