EXHIBIT 99


             FORTIS, INC. COMPLETES ACQUISITION OF PROTECTIVE LIFE'S
                            DENTAL BENEFITS DIVISION

    ACQUISITION MAKES FORTIS BENEFITS A LEADER IN THE DENTAL BENEFITS MARKET


NEW YORK, NY, December 31, 2001 - Fortis, Inc., part of the international
financial services provider Fortis [BSE: FOR and AMS: FOR], today announced that
it had completed its acquisition of Protective Life Corporation's (NYSE: PL)
Dental Benefits Division. As previously announced, the transaction, valued at
approximately $300 million, includes the reinsurance of Protective's Dental
Benefits Division's indemnity dental business and the purchase of the Division's
prepaid dental subsidiaries.

Fortis, Inc., on behalf of its group life, disability and dental benefits
affiliate based in Kansas City, Missouri, ("Fortis Benefits"), financed the
acquisition with cash on hand. The acquisition is expected to be immediately
accretive to Fortis, Inc.'s earnings.

Protective's Dental Benefits Division is an industry leader in the indemnity
dental market and has been a pioneer in developing voluntary dental indemnity
products for the payroll deduction segment of the marketplace. It has
approximately 620 employees and 29 field sales locations and provides group
dental benefits to more than two million members nationwide. For the year 2000
the Division had assets (excluding goodwill) of approximately $150 million and
revenues of $334.4 million. As of March 31, 2001 Protective's Dental Benefits
Division had in force premiums of $336.6 million.

J. Kerry Clayton, president and chief executive officer of Fortis, Inc., said,
"This transaction will position Fortis Benefits as a leader in the
rapidly-growing voluntary (employee-paid) dental benefits market and one of the
nation's largest providers of dental benefits. It also reaffirms Fortis, Inc.'s
ongoing commitment to build and manage a select portfolio of U.S. specialty
businesses that are leaders in their respective markets."

Michael J. Peninger, president of Fortis Benefits, said, "Protective's Dental
Benefits Division's product breadth, distribution strength and well-developed
provider network will add tremendous value not only to our dental benefits, but
also to our overall voluntary market presence as well. In addition, this
combination will increase our field selling strength by almost fifty percent
which will allow us to accelerate the achievement of our growth objectives while
continually improving the quality and efficiency of our core operations."

ABOUT FORTIS BENEFITS

Fortis Benefits, based in Kansas City, Mo., specializes in non-medical group
employee benefits. Fortis Benefits' group product offerings include long-term
and short-term disability, life and accidental death and dismemberment coverage
and dental insurance. Fortis Benefits also offers voluntary (employee-paid)
long-term disability, short-term disability, life and dental plans. Underwriting
flexibility allows Fortis Benefits to develop tailor-made benefit plans for
groups of any size. For more information, visit the company's website at
www.fortisbenefits.com.







ABOUT FORTIS, INC.

Fortis, Inc. is a financial services company that, through its operating
companies and affiliates, has built leadership positions in a number of
specialty insurance market segments in the U.S. The companies of Fortis, Inc.
are leading providers of individual, temporary and small group health insurance;
group disability, life and dental insurance; preneed funeral insurance; credit
related insurance products and services; and membership and extended service
programs. For more information, visit the company's website at
www.us.fortis.com.

Fortis, Inc. is part of Fortis, an international financial services provider
active in the fields of insurance, banking and investment. Fortis employs
approximately 70,000 people worldwide and offers a broad range of financial
services. In its home market, the Benelux countries, Fortis occupies a leading
position and offers a broad range of financial services to individuals,
companies and the public sector. Outside its home market, Fortis concentrates on
selected market segments. As of third quarter, 2001, Fortis had total assets in
excess of $400 billion. As one of the world's largest financial services
companies, Fortis ranks 31st based on assets and 73rd based on revenues on the
Fortune `Global 500' and 42nd based on revenues on the Forbes `International
500' list (July 23, 2001).



          CONTACTS

          FORTIS, INC.

 Media:
 Eden Abrahams
 Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher
 212-895-8672
 ea@joelefrank.com

          FORTIS BENEFITS

 Media:
 Kathy Kelley
 816-474-2392
 kathy.kelley@us.fortis.com