ING Employee Benefits Announces New Critical Illness Insurance Product

ING Employee Benefits (NYSE: ING) has announced the launch of its new critical illness insurance product. An excellent complement to traditional health and disability insurance, Premier Critical Illness insurance is designed to provide additional financial protection for enrolled participants in the event they experience a critical illness. The new product is currently available to employers to add to their benefit portfolios with coverage effective beginning January 1, 2008.

Premier Critical Illness insurance provides added support and security by paying an immediate lump-sum benefit following the diagnosis of one of several specified diseases or illnesses: coma, end stage renal (kidney) failure, heart attack, major organ failure, permanent paralysis and stroke. Employers have the option to add cancer coverage to their plans or purchase cancer only coverage on a stand-alone basis. Carefully built-in features deliver ultimate flexibility:

  -- Modular Design: Premier Critical Illness offers three, group-level plan
     options for employers to select based on their unique needs. Available
     plan designs include Critical Illness with Cancer, Critical Illness
     without Cancer or Cancer-only coverage.

  -- Conditional Guaranteed Issue: Guaranteed issue underwriting is
     available for cases with more than 500 eligible employees, if
     participation requirements are met.

  -- Restoration Benefit Rider: Our competitive restoration rider combines
     the best features associated with traditional reoccurrence and
     additional-occurrence benefits. Following payment of 100% of the base
     plan benefits in the Critical Illness module, this rider will restore
     the maximum benefit amount one time for a future occurrence or
     reoccurrence of any covered condition in the Critical Illness module.

  -- Occupational HIV Benefit Rider: This rider provides a one-time lump sum
     payment of $10,000 if you are diagnosed with Occupational HIV. The
     rider is available for approved healthcare or related professions at no
     additional cost to the employee.

According to the American Heart Association, heart disease and stroke are the No. 1 and 3 causes of death in the United States. And, if survived, they are a leading cause of serious disability(1). Furthermore, lifetime probability of developing cancer for men is 1 in 2; women 1 in 3(2).

"We cannot ignore these staggering statistics," says Curt Olson, President of ING Employee Benefits, U.S." They are medical realities we all face in one way or another. As a leader in the insurance business, ING fully recognizes the emotional and financial impacts a serious illness has on individuals and their families. Our Premier Critical Illness insurance was created to meet these needs and help provide peace of mind when dealing with the uncertainties of life."

ReliaStar Life Insurance Company is a member of the ING family of companies. Each insurer is solely responsible for the financial obligations under the policies or contracts it issues. Product availability may vary by state.

ING Group is a global financial institution of Dutch origin offering banking, insurance and asset management to more than 75 million private, corporate and institutional clients in more than 50 countries. With a diverse workforce of more than 120,000 people, ING comprises a broad spectrum of prominent companies that increasingly serve their clients under the ING brand.

In the U.S., the ING family of companies offers a comprehensive array of financial services to retail and institutional clients, which include life insurance, retirement plans, mutual funds, managed accounts, alternative investments, direct banking, institutional investment management, annuities, employee benefits, financial planning and reinsurance. ING holds top-tier rankings in key U.S. markets and serves more than 15 million customers across the nation. For more information, visit www.ing.com.

(1) Know the Facts, Get the Stats, American Heart Association, 2007.

(2) American Cancer Society 2007, Cancer Statistics 2007.

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SOURCE: ING US Financial Services

CONTACT: Chuck Eudy of ING US Financial Services, +1-770-980-5209, or
+1-770-490-6420 (mobile), chuck.eudy@us.ing.com

Web site: http://www.ing.com/