INDIANAPOLIS, Sept. 26, 2006 -- WellPoint, Inc. (NYSE: WLP) announced today that it will launch a new web-based, online decision-making tool to provide seniors with a highly convenient option for evaluating the WellPoint portfolio of Medicare Part D drug benefit offerings. It is one of many customer-focused programs being initiated by WellPoint and will provide seniors with an easy-to-use and convenient process for reviewing Medicare Part D choices and for enrolling in the product that best meets their needs.

"We believe this tool will provide tremendous value in helping seniors find the estimated price, plan, and drug benefit that best meets their needs," said Joan E. Herman, president and chief executive officer of Specialty, Senior and State-Sponsored Business for WellPoint. "One of our key priorities is to provide superior customer service and the most convenient enrollment options possible for seniors during the upcoming enrollment period -- and this tool enables us to deliver on that mission."

This sophisticated Web tool will help prospective members, brokers, agents and those helping to make decisions or the children of eligible members in a number of ways including the ability to better understand what drugs the company covers, compare and contrast different plans, find lower cost alternatives for certain drugs and enroll through a simple process on the web.

The tool is also designed to provide consumers with new and valuable information about the Medicare Part D program including the ability to calculate and estimate costs under each of the company's plans.

"WellPoint's unique competitive advantage is our local market depth and the ability to create innovation, efficiency and service excellence enterprise-wide. This new initiative adds one more convenient and quick way to serve our senior market -- quick and close to home. The launch of this tool also directly supports our efforts in making health care more affordable and in becoming the most trusted choice for consumers," added Herman.

About WellPoint, Inc.

WellPoint's mission is to improve the lives of the people it serves and the health of its communities. WellPoint, Inc. is the largest health benefits company in terms of commercial membership in the United States. Through its nationwide networks, the company delivers a number of leading health benefit solutions through a broad portfolio of integrated health care plans and related services, along with a wide range of specialty products such as life and disability insurance benefits, pharmacy benefit management, dental, vision, behavioral health benefit services, as well as long term care insurance and flexible spending accounts. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, WellPoint is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association and serves its 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 Blue Cross Blue Shield in 10 New York City metropolitan and surrounding counties and as Blue Cross or Blue Cross Blue Shield in selected upstate counties only), Ohio, Virginia (excluding the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C.), Wisconsin; and through UniCare. Additional information about WellPoint is available at http://www.wellpoint.com.