UnumProvident Exceeds 1000 Customers in Its Online Billing Program

Business Wire, Feb 7, 2002

Business Editors

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 7, 2002

Internet Billing Service Garners 98 Percent Satisfaction Rate

from Customers

The innovative Internet Billing service developed by income protection insurance leader UnumProvident (NYSE: UNM) reached an important milestone less than six months after its introduction with the registration of its 1000th customer for this new program.

The Internet Billing service, part of UnumProvident's iServices program, allows employers to receive immediate, real-time access to their bills online, and enables customers to access current and historical data with ease. Introduced in March 2001, the Internet Billing option, offered free of charge to select, qualified customers, has garnered a 98 percent satisfaction rate from users. To date, 65 percent of qualified customers have chosen to participate in the initial program. Since its inception, the program has rapidly grown to exceed 1,000 registered small- to mid-sized group customers.

"Reaching this milestone so quickly proves that this flexible online billing tool is exactly what many customers want," said Bob Best, senior vice president, Customer Loyalty Services. "Our customers expect first-rate customer service, and the direct feedback received on our first major online billing service shows we are successfully meeting - if not exceeding - that expectation."

Specifically, UnumProvident's Internet Billing program benefits customers by providing real-time bill accuracy that helps prevent payment overages or underages. In addition, the service offers a time-saving solution to the entire bill payment process by giving customers easy access to a secure Web site that houses an online history of charges and payments.

According to Sue Sweeney, assistant vice president, Customer Loyalty Services, the benefits to UnumProvident include a higher percentage of customers paying on time, a more effective method of distributing premium invoices to customers, and another avenue to build a higher degree of customer loyalty.

"Our Internet Billing service further demonstrates UnumProvident's commitment to exceptional customer service," said Sweeney. "Starting this year, we will roll out even more services, building on the existing Internet billing program, to accommodate our customers' growing needs."

This initial program offering acts as a stepping-stone for UnumProvident to provide future services such as e-mail bill notification and bill presentment, the ability for customers to make data changes online, electronic payment, online reporting, and Web access to plan data and forms.

"The quality of our customer-focused development approach and our Internet Service Center enables us to expand our portfolio of online services significantly with even more value-added content and Web-enabled services," added Sweeney. "UnumProvident wants to be recognized as a provider that is easy to do business with, one that is highly committed to satisfying the needs of its customers."

Among the satisfied customers using the Internet Billing option is Colorado-based Pikes Peak National Bank. The group customer has been a dedicated user of the Internet Billing program since March 2001.

"UnumProvident really had its customers in mind when it started this program," said Dean Duckwitz, vice president and cashier of the bank. "The convenient real-time access to information makes it easier to reconcile invoices. And the accuracy of the online billing service eliminates the need for us to make corrections that can delay the process."

About UnumProvident Corporation

The subsidiaries of UnumProvident Corporation (NYSE: UNM) offer a comprehensive, integrated portfolio of products and services backed by industry-leading return-to-work resources and disability expertise. UnumProvident is the leader(a) in income protection, providing insurance and services to individuals, both directly and through their employers. UnumProvident has more than 100 years of experience in creating innovative solutions that protect the rewards of work: paychecks, assets and lifestyles. UnumProvident was named one of Fortune's top ten most admired insurance companies(b). UnumProvident Corporation has operations in the United States, Canada, the U.K., Japan, and elsewhere around the world. Company headquarters is in Chattanooga, Tenn. with significant U.S. operations in Portland, Maine; Worcester, Mass.; and Glendale, Calif. For more information, visit our Web site: www.unumprovident.com.

(a)UnumProvident represents multiple insuring subsidiaries of UnumProvident Corporation, and includes the #1 group and individual income protection carriers in the U.S. and Canada according to Employee Benefit Plan Review, May 2001, and LIMRA, May 2001.

(b) "America's Most Admired Companies." Fortune magazine, February 19, 2001.