Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce and the Entrepreneur Center Bestow Awards

NASHVILLE, TENN. (October 19, 2011) – HealthSpring, a leading Medicare Advantage plan, announced today that the company and its CEO, Herb Fritch, were honored at the inaugural NEXT Awards on October 18 for their entrepreneurial spirit and leadership within the Nashville business community. HealthSpring was named a finalist in the Market Mover category for the healthcare sector, while Fritch was named the winner for Healthcare Entrepreneur of the Year.

The Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce and the Entrepreneur Center jointly presented the awards to recognize the accomplishments of companies and individual entrepreneurs in five areas of business especially important to the Nashville economy: healthcare; technology; digital media and entertainment; sustainability and alternative energy; and social enterprise. Individual awards for successful youth, minority, female, startup and legacy entrepreneurs were also bestowed, in addition to an Entrepreneur of the Year award.

“Our thriving entrepreneurial community has contributed significantly to the economic prosperity of Middle Tennessee,” said Chamber President and CEO Ralph Schulz. “We are proud to be able to recognize the outstanding accomplishments of these businesses and individuals.”

“Recognition like this is so important for small business owners and their employees. The NEXT Awards can provide the exposure and motivation to propel these entrepreneurs to a new level of success,” said Michael Burcham, Entrepreneur Center president and CEO.

“The success and reach of the NEXT Awards honorees is a testament to Nashville’s influential business community and I’m honored to be recognized among such progressive and intuitive leaders and businesses,” said HealthSpring Chairman and CEO Herb Fritch.

HealthSpring and Fritch received recognition as NEXT Awards finalists at an awards dinner held Tuesday, Oct. 18, at the Renaissance Nashville Hotel. For a full list of winners, please visit http://www.nextnashville.com/.

About HealthSpring
HealthSpring is based in Nashville, Tennessee, and is one of the country’s largest Medicare Advantage coordinated care plans. HealthSpring currently owns and operates Medicare Advantage plans in Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Mississippi, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas and Washington, D.C. Beginning in 2012, the Company will also operate Medicare Advantage plans in West Virginia. HealthSpring also offers a national stand-alone Medicare prescription drug plan. http://www.healthspring.com/.

About the NEXT Awards
The NEXT Awards are presented by the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce and Nashville Entrepreneur Center, in partnership with Bank of America. Additional sponsors include Bandit Lites, KraftCPAs, Lipscomb University Center for Entrepreneurship, Tennessean Media Group and WSMV-TV.http://www.nextnashville.com/.

CONTACT: Graham Harrison
(615) 234-6710
graham.harrison@healthspring.com