Milwaukee — October 4, 2004  — Assurant Health announced today it is introducing a new individual medical product , RightStart™. The product is designed to provide affordable health insurance to the growing population of uninsured Americans, including the 31 percent of uninsured adults in Texas .

Assurant Health developed RightStart based on research conducted with consumers in markets across the country that showed, when considering purchasing or renewing health insurance, costs – not services or accessibility — were the major determining factors. 26.5% of consumers cited monthly premium and deductible amounts as the top financial concerns.

“Our research showed a real need for an insurance plan that provided consumers with the right amount of health insurance that they need and can afford,” said Scott Krienke, vice president, individual markets, Assurant Health. “With the introduction of RightStart, Assurant Health is able to provide consumers with more affordable healthcare options and further expand our robust portfolio of products, including health savings accounts that support the growing uninsured market.”

Right Start offers individuals and families significant cost-savings on monthly premiums, as well as access to quality health care facilities and doctors. Some of the product’s additional highlights include: 24-hour-a-day worldwide coverage, single deductible for accidents involving multiple family members, no referrals for specialists and PPO and traditional options.

Since Assurant Health began offering RightStart in May in Alabama , Arizona and Missouri through a pilot program, the company has received hundreds of applications. The amount of applications has steadily increased over the past three months.

Krienke added, “RightStart was well-received in our three pilot markets and we look forward to being able to offer the product to Texas residents.” Assurant Health will introduce RightStart to additional states in the coming months.

For more information on health insurance products and services available to individuals in Texas , please visit www.assuranthealth.com.

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In business since 1892, Assurant Health provides health insurance coverage for more than one million people nationwide. Assurant Health develops and provides a wide range of individual medical, small group, short term and student health insurance products, including consumer-choice products such as HSAs and HRAs. With almost 3,000 employees, Assurant Health is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wis., and has operations offices in Minnesota, Idaho, and Florida, as well as sales offices across the country. Assurant Health products are issued and underwritten by Fortis Insurance Co., John Alden Life Insurance Co., and Fortis Benefits Insurance Co. Assurant Health is found at www.assuranthealth.com.

Assurant Health is part of Assurant, a premier provider of specialized insurance products and related services in North America and selected other markets. Its four key businesses — Assurant Employee Benefits; Assurant Health; Assurant Preneed; and Assurant Solutions — have partnered with clients who are leaders in their industries and have built leadership positions in a number of specialty insurance market segments in the U.S. and selected international markets.

Assurant, which is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol AIZ, has over $20 billion in assets and $7 billion in revenue. www.assurant.com