WellCare Announces Organizational Realignment

The Company recently announced workforce reductions related to the streamlining of reporting relationships, consolidation of an operating division, reorganization of some activities, and its previously disclosed intention to withdraw in 2010 from Medicare Advantage private fee-for-service plans. These changes will affect approximately 360 associates, or about 9%, of the Company's workforce. These efforts reflect the Company's focus on achieving administrative efficiencies and maintaining a competitive cost structure.

"These changes are very difficult," said Heath Schiesser, president and chief executive officer of WellCare. "Our objective remains building a stronger Company that can efficiently and effectively provide important health care options to the millions of beneficiaries we serve and the government clients that have entrusted us to do so."

Each associate affected by this action will receive severance pay, outplacement support, and the opportunity to apply for one of the Company's more than 150 open positions. Some of the associates affected by the realignment will remain with the Company for a period of time as part of a transition team.

WellCare remains committed to serving Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries and is continuing to invest to meet the needs of the members, providers, and government clients it serves.

About WellCare Health Plans, Inc.

WellCare Health Plans, Inc. provides managed care services exclusively for government-sponsored health care programs, focusing on Medicaid and Medicare. Headquartered in Tampa, Florida, WellCare offers a variety of health plans for families, children, and the aged, blind, and disabled, as well as prescription drug plans. The Company served approximately 2.5 million members nationwide as of March 31, 2009. For more information about WellCare, please visit the Company's website at www.wellcare.com.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking" statements that are made pursuant to the Safe Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements that are predictive in nature, that depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, or that include words such as "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," and similar expressions are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause WellCare's actual future results to differ materially from those projected or contemplated in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, risks related to the impact of the organizational realignment on the Company's business and the ultimate size of the reduction in WellCare's workforce.

Additional information concerning these and other important risks and uncertainties can be found under the captions "Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" and "Risk Factors" in the Company's 2008 Annual Report on Form 10-K, as amended, and other filings made with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which contain discussions of WellCare's business and the various factors that may affect it. WellCare undertakes no duty to update these forward-looking statements to reflect any future events, developments, or otherwise.

SOURCE: WellCare Health Plans, Inc.

WellCare Health Plans, Inc. 
Investor relations: 
Gregg Haddad, 813-865-1284 
gregg.haddad@wellcare.com 
or 
Media relations: 
Amy Knapp, 813-290-6208 
amy.knapp@wellcare.com