Oct. 28, 2009 (Business Wire) -- MHN (Managed Health Network, Inc.), the behavioral health subsidiary of Health Net, Inc. (NYSE: HNT), today announced that it has appointed Gidget L.A. Peddie as chief sales officer, a newly created position to help energize MHN’s sales and marketing activities and capitalize on new opportunities as the U.S. economy turns around. Peddie reports to Juanell Hefner, president and chief executive officer.

“Gidget’s extensive experience and impressive track record are well aligned with MHN’s continuing strategic evolution,” said Hefner. “We are building on our recognized strengths and developing aggressive solutions for growth and innovation as the marketplace regains its economic footing.”

Peddie brings 30 years of experience in developing, growing and leading health management enterprises. Most recently, she was senior vice president of sales and marketing at Magellan Health Services in Los Angeles. She also has held executive sales positions at Anthem and CIGNA.

About MHN and Health Net

As the behavioral health subsidiary of Health Net, Inc., MHN provides comprehensive behavioral-change solutions for individuals and organizations, including managed behavioral health and employee assistance programs. MHN has provided family counseling and advocacy services to military personnel and their families since 2004, and launched its Government Services division in January 2006 to support these programs. The Military & Family Life Consultant Program continues to serve and support hundreds of thousands of military personnel and families across the nation and abroad. For more information, visit www.mhn.com and www.mhngs.com.

Health Net, Inc. is among the nation’s largest publicly traded managed health care companies. Its mission is to help people be healthy, secure and comfortable. The company’s health plans and government contracts subsidiaries provide health benefits to approximately 6.7 million individuals across the country through group, individual, Medicare, Medicaid and TRICARE and Veterans Affairs programs. Health Net’s behavioral health subsidiary, MHN, provides mental health benefits to approximately 6.6 million individuals in all 50 states. The company’s subsidiaries also offer managed health care products related to prescription drugs, and offer managed health care product coordination for multi-region employers and administrative services for medical groups and self-funded benefits programs.

For more information on Health Net, Inc., please visit the company’s Web site at www.healthnet.com.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=6082422〈en