Fauquier Health System and UnitedHealthcare reached an agreement, effective April 1, to provide UnitedHealthcare customers in Northwestern Virginia with greater access to health care services through the Fauquier Health System.

The Fauquier Health System (FHS) includes the 86-bed Fauquier Hospital, Fauquier Home Health, Warrenton Overlook Health and Rehabilitation Center, the LIFE Center, and three joint ventures: The Cancer Center at Lake Manassas, Piedmont Home Care, and Piedmont Medical Laboratory. FHS provides a full array of diagnostic and treatment services to residents of Fauquier, Culpeper and Rappahannock counties and parts of Prince William County, Virginia.

The five-year contract provides additional options for UnitedHealthcare customers, including those enrolled in Choice, Choice Plus, Select, OneNet PPO, Options PPO, M.D. IPA, Optimum Choice Inc. and MLH, all part of UnitedHealthcare of the Mid-Atlantic, further expanding choices for many UnitedHealthcare members in Northern Virginia. While Fauquier Health System has had separate contracts with UnitedHealthcare and MAMSI, the new contact is the first combined MAMSI/UnitedHealthcare contract, thus providing more coverage options for members.

?Through this new agreement we are continuing to build on our commitment to bring quality, affordable health care to UnitedHealthcare members living in and around Northwestern Virginia. Our customers now have more access to additional health care options available through the Fauquier Health System and other participating providers,? said Kevin J. Ruth, president of UnitedHealthcare of the Mid-Atlantic.

Fauquier Health System Vice President of Business Development Greg Bengston said, ?FHS is pleased to have reached this important, long-term contract that incorporates not only the hospital, but all of the health system subsidiaries, allowing us to provide comprehensive health care services to all UnitedHealthcare/MAMSI members.?

About Fauquier Health System (www.fauquirehospital.org)

Fauquier Health System is a non-profit community health system serving Fauquier County and surrounding areas. Its hospital is fully accredited by the Joint Commission and follows the Planetree model for patient-centered care. In 2006, Fauquier Hospital admitted 5,002 patients, delivered 748 babies and provided $4.4 million in charity care. As the only health system in Fauquier County, FHS is dedicated to offering access to a range of expert care including skilled physicians (98% board certified and 2% board eligible); skilled nursing (Infusion Center, physical therapy, wound care, home care services fully accredited by the Joint Commission); a 24-hour ER; a Family Birthing Center with all-private birthing suites and 24-hour security; long-term care and rehabilitation through Warrenton Overlook; physician and community referrals; health and wellness classes and lectures; and health management through medically-based fitness programs at LIFE Center. Joint ventures with other local health care organizations allow FHS to offer even more services for the community. Piedmont Home Care, a joint venture with Valley Health, is a retail store offering medical, home health and wellness supplies. The Cancer Center at Lake Manassas, a strategic partnership with Prince William Hospital, offers state-of-the-art radiation treatments in the community.

About UnitedHealthcare

UnitedHealthcare (www.unitedhealthcare.com) provides a full spectrum of consumer-oriented health benefit plans and services. The company organizes access to quality, affordable health care services on behalf of more than 28 million individual consumers, contracting directly with more than 520,000 physicians and care professionals and 4,700 hospitals nationwide to offer consumers broad, convenient access to services nationwide. UnitedHealthcare is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH), a diversified Fortune 50 health and well-being company.