About SCAN

SCAN Health Plan Receives $50,000 Grant

from the S. Mark Taper Foundation

to Provide Home Support for Frail Elderly or Disabled

(LONG BEACH, CA - November 22, 2004) - SCAN Health Plan announced today that it has received a $50,000 grant from the S. Mark Taper Foundation to help support and expand its Volunteer Action in Aging (VAA) program. VAA is part of SCAN's Independence at Home (IAH) program, a care management organization dedicated to providing culturally and economically diverse seniors and disabled adults with personalized home- and community-based services.

VAA is a volunteer caregiving program that provides support services to help frail elderly and disabled persons live independently in their homes. "Our goal is to reduce the loneliness and isolation of needy seniors, the homebound or disabled so that they can experience a higher level of safety, security and increased sense of value within their community," said Kit Donaldson, vice president of programs for SCAN.

To achieve this, VAA currently provides its participants with "friendly visitors," "phone friends," taxi vouchers and an annual Thanksgiving meal delivery program. The grant from the S. Mark Taper Foundation will support all aspects of the VAA program including but not limited to: volunteer recruitment and training, volunteer recognition activities, a part-time volunteer coordinator, reimbursement of volunteers' out-of-pocket expenses and expansion of the program to include grocery shopping services.

"We are extremely grateful to the S. Mark Taper Foundation for their generous support of our work and their recognition of the profound need for these kinds of programs in the community," said Donaldson. "It is important that seniors and the disabled have the ability to control where they live and how they live, and this grant will help provide the services that help make this possible."

According to Ray Reisler, executive director of the S. Mark Taper Foundation, the grant is perfectly consistent with the foundation's goal of "enhancing the quality of people's lives by supporting nonprofit organizations and their work in our communities. We applaud organizations like SCAN that show this type of dedication and community spirit. "

The S. Mark Taper Foundation, founded in 1989, is named after S. Mark Taper, a resident of the Los Angeles area for more the 40 years who passed away in December 1994 at the age of 92. Mr. Taper was founder, chairman and chief executive of one of the largest savings and loan associations in the United States before retiring from business in 1983.

IAH is a department within SCAN Health Plan with a separate consumer base and devoid of Medicare funding. IAH operates one of California's largest and most successful Multi-Purpose Senior Service Programs (MSSP). Programs administered through IAH are funded exclusively through the state of California, the county of Los Angeles, private foundations and some matching funds from the health plan.

SCAN Health Plan, a leader in addressing senior healthcare needs, currently serves more than 60,000 seniors in most of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties. In addition to providing members such comprehensive health plan services as routine physicals, hearing exams and prescription drug coverage, SCAN also offers qualified members Independent Living Power®, a collection of personal-care services that range from light cleaning to transportation escorts. Further information may be obtained at www.scanhealthplan.com.