Washington, D.C. – Business Roundtable today named Ivan Seidenberg, chairman and CEO of Verizon Communications Inc., chairman of its Health & Retirement Task Force. Mr. Seidenberg replaces Mike McCallister, president and CEO of Humana, Inc.

"This is a pivotal time of increased debate around health care reform, and we are pleased to have Ivan leading the Roundtable's efforts on these important issues," said Harold McGraw, III, chairman of Business Roundtable and chairman, president and CEO of The McGraw-Hill Companies. "At the same time, we thank Mike for his leadership, dedication and insightful guidance during his tenure as chairman of this task force."

Mr. Seidenberg has long been a voice for reform of the health care system, calling for increased efficiency of care through the introduction of technology and for providing more information to the health care consumer. The sole representative of employers, he also served on the Federal Commission on Systemic Interoperability, a group of medical, insurance, governmental, technological and corporate leaders tasked by Congress to develop recommendations and a timeline for the adoption of privacy-protected systems of electronic health records.

Verizon Communications Inc. is a leader in delivering broadband communication innovations to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers. In 2006, Verizon provided health care benefits of $3.5 billion, covering more than 900,000 employees, dependents and retirees. A leader in health IT, Verizon offers employees an enhanced Personal Health Care Record — a tool that allows participants to gather, store and manage essential health information from multiple sources in one file.