On Oct. 2, 2003, Standard&Poor's Ratings Services affirmed its 'A+' counterparty credit and financial strength ratings on Noridian Mutual Insurance Co., which does business as Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota. Standard&Poor's subsequently withdrew these ratings at the company's request. The ratings had been based on the company's continued dominance of the North Dakota health insurance market, very strong capitalization, conservative investment portfolio, and improving earning, offset by the plan's restrictive regulatory environment. Complete ratings information is available to subscribers of RatingsDirect, Standard&Poor's Web-based credit analysis system, at www.ratingsdirect.com. All ratings affected by this rating action can be found on Standard&Poor's public Web site at www.standardandpoors.com; under Credit Ratings in the
