Delta Dental Joins Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease

Chief Science Officer Appointed to Advisory Board

December 7, 2007 (Okemos, Mich.) — Delta Dental of Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and Tennessee (Delta Dental) today joined the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease (PFCD), a nonpartisan coalition of leaders from the health care, business, policy and labor communities committed to making chronic disease the key health care issue in the 2008 presidential election. In addition, Dr. Jed Jacobson, senior vice president and chief science officer for Delta Dental, has been appointed to the PFCD advisory board.

“I am honored to join the PFCD advisory board and look forward to promoting the fight against chronic disease and sharing the important connection between oral health and overall health,” said Jacobson. “Delta Dental is a leader in evidence-based dentistry and strives to improve the health of those in the communities we serve, which is why we have joined the Partnership.”

Delta Dental joins more than 80 partner organizations in the fight against chronic disease. The PFCD is working to raise awareness of chronic disease nationwide, with a particular focus on the key primary states of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. The partnership is led by former U.S. Surgeon General Richard H. Carmona, M.D. and Ken Thorpe, PhD, chair of the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University and a former White House health policy advisor.

“The addition of Delta Dental strengthens the PFCD in the fight against chronic disease," said Thorpe, executive director of the PFCD. "We look forward to tapping Delta Dental and Dr. Jacobson’s vast knowledge and substantial resources in making chronic disease the key health care issue in the 2008 presidential election.”

Chronic diseases are responsible for seven out of every 10 deaths in the U.S. – causing more than 1.7 million American deaths every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Chronic diseases are also the primary driver of health care costs, accounting for more than 75 percent of the $2 trillion dollars spent each year on health care in the U.S.

About Delta Dental
The affiliated Delta Dental companies of Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and Tennessee collectively are one of the largest dental plan administrators in the nation. In 2006, the enterprise paid out more than $1.7 billion for dental care for more than 6.2 million enrollees. Offices are located in Okemos and Farmington Hills, Mich.; Columbus and Cleveland, Ohio; Indianapolis and Greenwood, Ind; and, Nashville, Knoxville, and Memphis, Tenn.

For more information please visit www.deltadentalmi.com.

About the PFCD
The Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease (PFCD) is a national coalition of patients, providers, community organizations, business and labor groups, and health policy experts. They are committed to raising awareness of chronic disease and the policies and practices that save lives and reduce health costs through more effective prevention and management of chronic disease.

The mission of the PFCD is to:

Educate the public about chronic disease and potential solutions for individuals and communities
Mobilize Americans to call for change in how governments, employers, and health institutions approach chronic disease
Challenge policymakers on the health policy changes that are necessary to effectively fight chronic disease

Currently, more than 80 advisory board members and partner organizations from across the country have joined the PFCD.

For more information on the partnership, please visit: www.fightchronicdisease.org.