14 September 2000

Chamber Announces Health Plan

The Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce and the Community Health Council announced today the introduction of a new
employee health insurance program for small businesses in the Manhattan area. The Community Health Council and the
Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce formed a joint task force in December 1998 charged with seeking an employee
health insurance program designed for small businesses, thereby improving access to health services for uninsured people of
the community.

The resulting program, called Health Choice, distinguishes itself by offering each employee a choice between two health plan
options in one package. Task Force Chair, Steve Shields, says the advantage to employees and their families is greater
satisfaction with a more personalized type of plan—and a range of prices. The advantage for businesses, says Shields, is a
low buy-in rate and the ability for management to "get out of the middle" of choices about plans.

Lannie Zweimiller, Chair of the Community Health Council Board of Directors, has been pleased to partner with the
Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce to provide a greater number of Manhattan area employees expanded access to
health care, one of the primary goals of the Council.

Chamber of Commerce Chair, Shirley Baker, is proud to have teamed with the Community Health Council to bring increased
quality of life to our community by strengthening health insurance options for our local businesses.

The program is designed for employer groups with from two to 50 employees. The insurance is provided through Willis of
Kansas. The plan choices may be any pair selected by the employer group from among many offered by Willis, including
cost-saving variations that rely on patients’ personal physicians to make referrals to specialists.

Health Choice was designed in collaboration with Alliance Employee Health Access, a not-for-profit Kansas corporation
with a mission of expanding access of Kansas employees to health care.

Health Choice is available to all small employer groups within 10 miles of Manhattan for health plan years starting on or after
November 1, 2000. Member firms of the Manhattan Chamber are exempt from an annual access fee for the program.

More information about Health Choice is available by calling either the Chamber at 785-776-8829 or the Health Council at
785-539-1610. Information can also be seen online at www. alliancehealth.org/manhattan.