Humana began its storied history of service not as an insurance provider but as a nursing home facility called Extendicare, which was launched in 1961 by David A. Jones Sr. and H. Wendell Cherry. By 1968, Extendicare had grown into one of the largest elder care provider networks in the country.

In the 1970s, the company transitioned from elder care to acute and general hospital care services. It was rechristened under the Humana brand in 1974. By the 1980s, Humana expanded its services once again to include managed care and health insurance coverage and by the 1990s, it sold its hospital interests. Today, Humana is one of the top health insurance providers in the US.