6.21.2007 - 09:04am ET

(CSRwire) MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 21, 2007--UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) has formed a national alliance with the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America to support the foundation and its mission of granting the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions.

As part of the three-year, $4.5 million alliance - one of the largest in the nonprofit organization's 27-year history - the Make-A-Wish Foundation named the company a National Wish Champion. Each of the Foundation's 69 chapters will be eligible to receive wish-granting funds through the new program allowing those local chapters to grant wishes in their communities.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation, with headquarters in Phoenix, is the world's largest wish-granting organization. Since its inception in 1980, the foundation has evolved into an organization that grants a child's wish in the United States every 41 minutes and has reached more than 150,000 children nationwide. Nearly 80 cents of each dollar raised goes directly toward granting wishes.

"UnitedHealth Group's substantial commitment is another tremendous acknowledgement that the Make-A-Wish Foundation has earned the trust and support of America's largest companies," said David Williams, Make-A-Wish Foundation of America president and CEO. "Our alliance with UnitedHealth Group will make a truly positive impact in our communities and will bring joy to so many children courageously facing life-threatening medical conditions."

"Our alliance with the Make-A-Wish Foundation reinforces our overarching commitment as a health and well-being company and the mission we live every day to make a difference in our communities," said Mike Mikan, UnitedHealth Group CFO and board member of the foundation's Minnesota chapter. "More importantly, by entrusting this world-class organization to identify children on our behalf, this program gives us a unique opportunity to bring joy to hundreds of individuals and families. As a foundation volunteer myself and having seen this in action, I believe UnitedHealth Group is raising the bar in its commitment to serving others."

About the Make-A-Wish Foundation

The Make-A-Wish Foundation grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. Born in 1980 when a group of caring people helped a young boy fulfill his dream of becoming a police officer, the Foundation is now the largest wish-granting charity in the world, with 69 chapters in the United States and its territories. With the help of generous donors and nearly 25,000 volunteers, the Make-A-Wish Foundation grants more than 12,600 wishes a year and has granted more than 150,000 wishes in the U.S. since inception. For more information about the Make-A-Wish Foundation, visit www.wish.org.

About UnitedHealth Group

UnitedHealth Group (www.unitedhealthgroup.com) is a diversified health and well-being company dedicated to making health care work better. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn., UnitedHealth Group offers a broad spectrum of products and services through six operating businesses: UnitedHealthcare, Ovations, AmeriChoice, Uniprise, Specialized Care Services and Ingenix. Through its family of businesses, UnitedHealth Group serves more than 70 million individuals nationwide.

Make-A-Wish Foundation is a registered trademark of Make-A-Wish Foundation of America.



Copyright Business Wire 2007

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