Daughters of Israel To Work with Evercare to Introduce Innovative Elder Care Model for New Jersey Skilled Nursing Facility Residents

West Orange, New Jersey (June 5, 2006) - Daughters of Israel, a skilled nursing facility in West Orange, New Jersey, today announced that it has contracted with Evercare, a leading provider of health plans for the frail elderly, chronically ill and disabled, to offer its residents health plans designed to meet the unique needs of individuals living in a skilled nursing facility.

Evercare® plans focus on the early detection and treatment of existing conditions to minimize potential complications by providing timely coordinated and holistic care management. Residents who choose to enroll are provided an Evercare nurse practitioner who collaborates with the enrollee, their family, physicians and the Daughters of Israel staff to design and implement a coordinated plan of care that aims to enhance their quality of life and well-being. Additionally, through its Medicare Advantage plans, Evercare is able to provide benefits beyond those available under traditional Medicare.

Daughters of Israel has a long history of caring for seniors in Essex County, and our relationship with Evercare will allow us to serve our residents - and their families - better than ever before, said Lawrence Gelfand, Executive Vice President of Daughters of Israel. In our centenary year, we are looking forward to working with Evercare, whose innovative, coordinated care model represents the future of healthcare.

Evercare has consistently demonstrated its ability to improve services and overall quality of life for its enrollees. Independent evaluations have shown Evercare to reduce hospitalizations for skilled nursing facility residents by 45 percent and trips to the emergency room by 50 percent. Evercare enrollees and their families have consistently rated their satisfaction with the program at 95 percent or better, and physicians rate Evercare as a program they would recommend to other physicians. These results have earned Evercare national recognition from the American Society of Aging for improving enrollees' health and managing overall costs.

The program will enhance the high quality of services already provided at Daughters of Israel and demonstrate Evercare's commitment to enhancing the level of services available to New Jersey's seniors, said June A. Duggan, President and CEO of the New Jersey Association of Non-Profit Homes for the Aging.

Evercare offers multiple services that allow skilled nursing facility residents to get quality care. For example, Evercare does not require a three-day hospital stay for residents to qualify for skilled nursing services and some specialty services right in the facility. This means that, when appropriate, nurse practitioners arrange to bring diagnostic and therapeutic services to residents, rather than require them to travel off-site, which can be traumatic and is more costly. These services may include medication management, lab tests, x-rays and pain assessments. This in-facility care is unusual within traditional Medicare and Medicaid.

Evercare serves more than 95,000 frail elderly, chronically ill and disabled individuals living at home, in a community setting or in a skilled nursing facility through a variety of Medicare, Medicaid and private-pay long-term care plans. This agreement represents the first time that Evercare is serving skilled nursing facility residents in New Jersey.

Evercare is pleased for the opportunity to offer our services to the residents of Daughters of Israel, said Diane Bednar-Flynn, Executive Director of Evercare New York and New Jersey. We are honored to work with Daughters of Israel and look forward to building upon their experience and well-developed care system to expand services for their residents.

About Evercare

Evercare coordinates healthcare and well-being services for the frail elderly, chronically ill and disabled in the home, the community and skilled nursing facilities. Started in 1987 as a CMS demonstration project, Evercare today serves more than 100,000 people nationwide through a variety of Medicaid, Medicare and private-pay health plans. Evercare is part of Ovations, a division of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) dedicated to the healthcare needs of over-50 Americans. For more information about Evercare, call 1-866-772-0859 (TTY 1-800-387-1074) or visit www.evercareonline.com.

About Daughters of Israel, Plafsky Family Campus Care for the Jewish Elderly and Disabled

Celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, Daughters of Israel is an independent nursing facility with 303 beds. A beneficiary agency of the United Jewish Communities of MetroWest NJ and the only Jewish/kosher facility in MetroWest, the facility offers a full range of health-related services, including a full-time medical director, geriatricians and clinical nurse practitioners, 24-hour on-call physician services, dieticians, extensive rehabilitation, sub-acute care, physical and occupational therapies, long-term care, award-winning recreational services, state certified Alzheimer's and dementia special care unit, hospice care, social services and family support groups. Other important services include: Jewish cultural programs, trips, full-time rabbi, vocational workshop, synagogue, in-house radio and TV stations, gift shop, thrift shop and beauty parlor. Private and semi-private rooms are offered to applicants.

Other divisions of Daughters of Israel include: Herr Adult Medical Day Center, HAREL - Senior Supportive Housing, MetroWest Caregivers Resource Center, The Sarah and Aaron Franzblau Institute for Continuing Education, and an active Family Council, Volunteer Department and Women's League. For information about services provided at Daughters of Israel, please call 1-973-731-5100.