WellPoint Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 20...( - Fourth quarter 2007 diluted earn...),Health

- Fourth quarter 2007 diluted earnings per share increased by 18.0% to

$1.51

- Medical enrollment grew by 708,000 members during 2007 - Selling, general and administrative expense ratio continued to improve,

declining by 120 basis points during the year - Operating cash flow exceeded $4.3 billion for the year, or 1.3 times net

income - Company reiterates diluted earnings per share target of $6.41 for 2008,

representing growth of 15.3% over 2007

INDIANAPOLIS, Jan. 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- WellPoint, Inc. (NYSE: WLP) today announced that fourth quarter 2007 net income was $859.1 million, or $1.51 per share, which included net realized investment gains of less than $0.01 per share. Net income in the fourth quarter of 2006 was $801.1 million, or $1.28 per share, which included net realized investment gains of $0.01 per share. Full year 2007 net income was $5.56 per share, which included $0.01 per share in net realized investment gains. Net income for full year 2006 was $4.82 per share, which included tax benefits of $0.04 per share due to a change in the Company's state tax apportionment factors.

"We are pleased that WellPoint achieved its earnings per share expectations during 2007 and continued its strong organic membership growth. We view this as an excellent indication that customers continue to find great value in the products and services we are providing to the marketplace," said Angela F. Braly, president and chief executive officer of WellPoint, Inc. "As we continue to grow, we are also operating more efficiently each year. During 2007, we were able to reduce our general and administrative costs by more than $175 million while servicing 708,000 new medical members."

"We remain confident in our earnings per share target of $6.41 for 2008, which represents annual growth of 15.3 percent," said Wayne S. DeVeyd
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