Robert L. Dawson Named New President and CEO of HealthAmerica and HealthAssurance

    HARRISBURG, Pa. and PITTSBURGH, Dec. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- HealthAmerica and
 HealthAssurance today announced that Robert L. Dawson has been chosen to be
 the companies' next president and chief executive officer effective January 1,
 2005. Dawson will replace Francis S. Soistman, Jr., who was named the new
 executive vice president of health plan operations at Coventry Health Care,
 Inc., the parent company of HealthAmerica and HealthAssurance.
     "Since joining our organization this year as executive vice president of
 central Pennsylvania, Bob has demonstrated the value of his 20-plus years of
 industry knowledge and leadership capabilities," said Soistman. "Bob is a
 results-oriented leader with a unique ability to lead change, which is a
 critical skill, particularly in this dynamic industry.  His effectiveness in
 building internal and external relationships will prove to be successful as he
 leads HealthAmerica and HealthAssurance in identifying new solutions to
 controlling the escalating costs of health care and health insurance."
     Throughout his career, Dawson has served in several executive capacities,
 including president and CEO of multiple large health plans. Prior to joining
 HealthAmerica and HealthAssurance, Dawson was the executive director of
 business development for the University of Miami Medical Group, where he was
 responsible for the business development activities for more than 800
 physicians and two hospitals. He has also served as president and chief
 operating officer of Empowered Benefits, LLC, a consumer driven health care
 company based in North Carolina, and as president of Aetna Health Plans of
 Texas, Inc. He is a graduate of Davidson College in North Carolina.
     A search is currently underway to fill the central Pennsylvania Executive
 Vice President position. Dawson will be based at HealthAmerica's headquarters
 in Harrisburg.
 
     About HealthAmerica and HealthAssurance
     HealthAmerica Pennsylvania, Inc., has a 29-year record in managed care.
 HealthAmerica, HealthAssurance Pennsylvania, Inc., and affiliate companies
 cover over 735,000 members in Pennsylvania and Ohio through HMO, POS, PPO,
 Medicaid, and Medicare Advantage plans.  In addition, HealthAmerica earned an
 "Excellent" Accreditation for its HMO plan and HealthAssurance earned an
 "Excellent" Accreditation for the HealthAssurance POS by the National
 Committee for Quality Assurance, an independent, non-profit organization
 dedicated to measuring the quality of America's health care.  With corporate
 offices in Pittsburgh and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, HealthAmerica and
 HealthAssurance provide managed health care products and services to over
 11,000 employers in Pennsylvania and Ohio. HealthAmerica and its affiliates
 employ over 1,500 people in Pennsylvania.  For more information, visit
 HealthAmerica's website at http://www.healthamerica.cvty.com .
 
 

SOURCE  HealthAmerica and HealthAssurance