WellPoint To Hold Conference Call and Webcast To Discuss 2010 Financial Outlook on March 17, 2010

INDIANAPOLIS, Feb. 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- WellPoint, Inc. (NYSE: WLP) today cancelled its Investor Day previously scheduled for February 23, 2010, and announced that management will review the Company's 2010 financial outlook during a conference call on March 17, 2010, at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). The Company continues to expect full year 2010 net income to be at least $6.00 per share, subject to its ability to secure and maintain sufficient premium rates. The Company will provide additional details about its 2010 outlook during the call on March 17, 2010.

The conference call should be accessed at least 15 minutes prior to its start, with the following numbers:

    
    
    888-423-3268 (Domestic)           800-475-6701 (Domestic Replay)
    612-288-0329 (International)      320-365-3844 (International Replay)

An access code is not required for the March 17, 2010 conference call.  The access code for the replay is 147167.  The replay will be available from 11:00 a.m. EDT on March 17, 2010, until the end of the day on March 31, 2010. The call will also be available through a live webcast at www.wellpoint.com under Investor Info.  A webcast replay will be available following the call.

The United States House of Representatives Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations has requested information from the Company concerning premium rate increases in the individual health insurance market, and has requested that a senior officer of the Company appear before the subcommittee on February 24, 2010. The Investor Day program was cancelled in order to allow the Company to prepare appropriately for the hearing.  The Company is confident that its rates were established consistent with actuarial principles and state law, and welcomes the opportunity to discuss the underlying rise in health costs and actuarial dynamics which resulted in the need to increase individual health insurance rates.

About WellPoint, Inc.

WellPoint works to simplify the connection between Health, Care and Value. We help to improve the health of our communities, deliver better care to members, and provide greater value to our customers and shareholders. WellPoint is the nation's largest health benefits company, with approximately 34 million members in its affiliated health plans. As an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, WellPoint serves members as the Blue Cross licensee for California; the Blue Cross and Blue Shield licensee for Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri (excluding 30 counties in the Kansas City area), Nevada, New Hampshire, New York (as the Blue Cross Blue Shield licensee in 10 New York City metropolitan and surrounding counties and as the Blue Cross or Blue Cross Blue Shield licensee in selected upstate counties only), Ohio, Virginia (excluding the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C.), and Wisconsin.  In a majority of these service areas, WellPoint does business as Anthem Blue Cross, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield or Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield (in the New York service areas).  WellPoint also serves customers throughout the country as UniCare.  Additional information about WellPoint is available at www.wellpoint.com.

SAFE HARBOR STATEMENT UNDER THE PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995

This document contains certain forward-looking information about us that is intended to be covered by the safe harbor for "forward-looking statements" provided by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not generally historical facts. Words such as "expect(s)", "feel(s)", "believe(s)", "will", "may", "anticipate(s)", "intend", "estimate", "project" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, which generally are not historical in nature. These statements include, but are not limited to, financial projections and estimates and their underlying assumptions; statements regarding plans, objectives and expectations with respect to future operations, products and services; and statements regarding future performance. Such statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond our control, that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied or projected by, the forward-looking information and statements. These risks and uncertainties include: those discussed and identified in our public filings with the SEC; increased government participation in, or regulation or taxation of health benefits and managed care operations; trends in health care costs and utilization rates; our ability to secure sufficient premium rates including regulatory approval for and implementation of such rates; our ability to contract with providers consistent with past practice; competitor pricing below market trends of increasing costs; reduced enrollment, as well as a negative change in our health care product mix; risks and uncertainties regarding Medicare and Medicaid programs, including those related to non-compliance with the complex regulations imposed thereon, funding risks with respect to revenue received from participation therein and CMS sanctions; a downgrade in our financial strength ratings; litigation and investigations targeted at health benefits companies and our ability to resolve litigation and investigations within estimates; our ability to meet expectations regarding repurchases of shares of our common stock; decreased revenues, increased operating costs and potential customer and supplier losses and business disruptions that may be greater than expected following the close of the Express Scripts transaction; events that result in negative publicity for us or the health benefits industry; failure to effectively maintain and modernize our information systems and e-business organization and to maintain good relationships with third party vendors for information system resources; events that may negatively affect our license with the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association; possible impairment of the value of our intangible assets if future results do not adequately support goodwill and other intangible assets; intense competition to attract and retain employees; unauthorized disclosure of member sensitive or confidential information; changes in the economic and market conditions, as well as regulations that may negatively affect our investment portfolios and liquidity; possible restrictions in the payment of dividends by our subsidiaries and increases in required minimum levels of capital and the potential negative effect from our substantial amount of outstanding indebtedness; general risks associated with mergers and acquisitions; various laws and our governing documents may prevent or discourage takeovers and business combinations; future bio-terrorist activity or other potential public health epidemics; and general economic downturns. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements that speak only as of the date hereof. Except to the extent otherwise required by federal securities law, we do not undertake any obligation to republish revised forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. Readers are also urged to carefully review and consider the various disclosures in our SEC reports.

SOURCE WellPoint, Inc.