"Mike and his team of specialists are devoted to strategic thinking about consumers from the outside-in rather than the inside-out," said Jonathan T. Lord, MD, Humana's senior vice president and chief innovation officer. "Many health benefit companies talk about 'consumer-focused' and 'consumer-directed' as places they want to go. But Humana is unique in its efforts to deliver on the full promise of these ideas. Mike's early work in this regard has already broken exciting new ground, and now, with the establishment of a formal ICE Division, Humana is raising the bar for the industry in the creation of an engaging consumer experience."

Mirroring models from more historically "consumerist" industries, Battaglia's multi-disciplinary ICE team includes experts in research and development (consumer and market research, innovation development, and experience metrics) as well as operations (process engineers and specialized internal consultants)­. Working together, these ICE teams will systematically incorporate the consumer's voice and experience into the way Humana views, manages, and builds its business.

"Experts in recruiting and leveraging consumer insights have come to us from outside the industry because they see health benefits as one of the last uncharted consumer frontiers. They recognize Humana as a clear leader at finding innovative ways to develop consumer value," Battaglia said. "This is an very exciting time at Humana. Already the ICE team has contributed to several industry-disrupting innovations. Now with the formation of the full ICE Division, we look forward to building a stream of new strategies for engaging consumers as co-creators in improving key aspects of our business."

Previously Humana's executive director of research and innovation development, Battaglia has been with the company for the last three years, during which he and his team have contributed to the success of such breakthrough consumer-focused initiatives as PlanProfessor, PlanWizard and RxImpact.

Before joining Humana, Battaglia served in a variety of senior managerial and consulting capacities at premier institutions, including executive positions at Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care. A recognized thought leader on forward-looking health care and consumer strategies, he is a frequent speaker on topics such as consumer engagement and health care consumerism.

Humana Inc., headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, is one of the nation's largest publicly traded health benefits companies, with approximately 7 million medical members located primarily in 19 states and Puerto Rico. Humana offers coordinated health insurance coverage and related services - through traditional and Internet-based plans – to employer groups, government-sponsored plans, and individuals.

More information regarding Humana is available via the Internet at www.humana.com, including copies of:

• Annual report to stockholders;
• Securities and Exchange Commission filings;
• Most recent investor conference presentation;
• Quarterly earnings press releases;
• Audio archive of most recent earnings release conference call;
• Calendar of events (includes upcoming earnings conference call dates, times, and access number, as well as planned participation in investor conferences)
• Corporate Governance Information