"I am pleased to report the Company's strong start to 2013," said Allen F. Wise, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Coventry. "These first quarter results position the Company well to achieve its financial and operational goals in 2013 as we look towards combining our strengths with those of Aetna after satisfying all remaining regulatory requirements."

First Quarter 2013 Consolidated Highlights

First quarter EPS increased by 61% from the prior year quarter excluding the $0.58 one-time impact from the previously disclosed Medicare Advantage Risk Adjustment Data Validation (RADV) prior period reserve release during the first quarter of 2012

Total revenues were down 4.7% from the prior year quarter

Excluding the $141.8 million favorable revenue impact of the RADV prior period reserve release during the first quarter of 2012, total revenues were down by less than 1%

Selling, general, and administrative (SG&A) expense of 14.8% of total revenue includes costs of $11.1 million, or $0.05 EPS, associated with the pending Aetna transaction

Medicare Advantage Coordinated Care Plan (MA-CCP) membership was 309,000, an increase of 59,000 members, or 24%, from the prior year quarter driven by successful execution during the 2013 Annual Enrollment Period

The Company's Kentucky Medicaid business generated a positive contribution to earnings with an MLR of 92.3% in the first quarter, an improvement of 440 basis points (bps) from the fourth quarter of 2012 and 2,860 bps from the first quarter of 2012

The Company successfully launched Medicaid operations in the New East Zone in Pennsylvania during the quarter, bringing the Company's total Medicaid membership in Pennsylvania to approximately 98,000

GAAP cash flows from operations were $222.2 million, or 164% of net income

Selected First Quarter 2013 Highlights

Medicare Advantage

Excluding the $141.8 million favorable revenue impact of the RADV prior period reserve release during the first quarter of 2012, Medicare Advantage revenue increased by 20% from the prior year quarter

As of March 31, 2013, slightly more than 50% of the Company's current MA-CCP membership resides in contracts rated 4.0 Stars

The MA-CCP Medical Loss Ratio (MLR) was 84.6% in the quarter

Medicare Part D

As of March 31, 2013, Medicare Part D membership was 1,450,000, a decrease of 8,000 members, or 1%, from the prior year quarter, driven by the reduction in Coventry's auto-assign footprint for 2013

The Medicare Part D MLR was 93.4% in the quarter, a decrease of 150 bps from the prior year quarter

Medicaid

As of March 31, 2013, Medicaid membership was 892,000, a decrease of 32,000 members, or 3%, from the prior year quarter. The decrease was driven by the previously announced termination of the Company's contract with the State of Kansas effective December 31, 2012, partially offset by expansion to additional regions in Pennsylvania throughout 2012 and 2013 and expansion in Nebraska effective July 1, 2012.

The Medicaid MLR was 86.4% in the quarter, a decrease of 1,360 bps from the prior year quarter

Commercial

As of March 31, 2013, total commercial membership was 2,182,000, a decrease of 22,000 members, or 1%, from the prior quarter

The commercial risk MLR was 77.9% in the quarter, a decrease of 200 bps from the prior year quarter

Balance Sheet

Investment portfolio in a net unrealized gain position of $88 million as of March 31, 2013

Health Plan Days in Claims Payable (DCP) of 51.43, an increase of 2.39 days from the prior quarter

$950 million in free cash at the parent at quarter-end

Board of Directors approval of the Company's first quarter 2013 cash dividend paid on April 9, 2013

Debt-to-Capital of 24.7%, a 50 bps reduction from the prior year quarter

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Among the risk factors that may materially affect our business, operations or financial condition are the ability to accurately estimate and control future health care costs; the ability to increase premiums to offset increases in our health care costs; general economic conditions and disruptions in the financial markets; changes in legal requirements and healthcare industry practices from recently enacted federal or state laws or regulations, court decisions, or government audits, investigations and proceedings; guaranty fund assessments under state insurance guaranty association law; changes in government funding and various other risks associated with our participation in Medicare and Medicaid programs; our ability to effectively implement and manage new or less seasoned markets, including the implementation of appropriate risk adjustment revenue and management of the associated medical costs and the effect on our medical loss ratio; a reduction in the number of members in our health plans; the ability to acquire additional managed care businesses, enter into new markets and to successfully integrate acquired businesses into our operations, particularly while our merger with Aetna is pending; an ability to attract new members or to increase or maintain our premium rates; the non-renewal or termination of our government contracts, unsuccessful bids for business with government agencies or renewal of government contracts, unsuccessful bids for business with government agencies or renewal of government contracts on less favorable terms; failure of independent agents and brokers to continue to market our products to employers; a failure to obtain cost-effective agreements with a sufficient number of providers that could result in higher medical costs and a decrease in our membership; negative publicity regarding the managed health care industry generally or our Company in particular; a failure to effectively protect, maintain and develop our information technology systems; compromises of our data security; periodic reviews, audits and investigations under our contracts with federal and state government agencies; litigation including litigation based on new or evolving legal theories; volatility in our stock price and trading volume; our indebtedness, which imposes certain restrictions on our business and operations; an inability to generate sufficient cash to service our indebtedness; our ability to receive cash from our regulated subsidiaries; an impairment of our intangible assets; our certificate of incorporation, our bylaws and Delaware law, which could delay, discourage or prevent a change in control of our Company that our stockholders may consider favorable; changes in government funding related to automatic spending cuts that are occurring due to federal sequestration; and our proposed merger with Aetna, including, but not limited to, risks related to our failure to complete the merger with Aetna, our ability to attract, retain and motivate our key employees and executives in light of the pending merger, and limitations on our ability to conduct our business between now and the closing of the merger.

Coventry Health Care (www.coventryhealthcare.com) is a diversified national managed health care company based in Bethesda, Maryland, dedicated to delivering high-quality health care solutions at an affordable price. Coventry provides a full portfolio of risk and fee-based products including Medicare and Medicaid programs, group and individual health insurance, workers' compensation solutions, and network rental services. With a presence in every state in the nation, Coventry's products currently serve approximately 5 million individuals helping them receive the greatest possible value for their health care investment.