ADVISORY/Investing America's Health Care; Industry Health Care Conference; Charles Schwab Capital Markets L.P.; Washington Research Group.

Business Editors/Health/Medical Writers

ADVISORY...for Thursday (May 15)

--(BUSINESS WIRE)

Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.

WHAT:   In what promises to be a pivotal year for legislation
        affecting the health care industry, the Washington Research
        Group (WRG), a team of research analysts who provide
        political, economic and industry research for institutional
        investors, is hosting its 8th Annual Health Care Conference.

WHO:    This conference brings together experts from the Food and Drug
        Administration (FDA), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
        Services, Congress and the private sector to discuss the
        implications of health policy for the pharmaceutical industry,
        hospitals, device makers, and other health care companies.
        Topics/presenters include:

        --  The Administration's Health Agenda; Tom Scully,
            Administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
            (CMS)

        --  FDA Legal Issues; Daniel Troy, Chief Counsel, Food and
            Drug Administration

        --  Medicare Reform and Prescription Drugs; Linda Fishman --
            Chief Health Policy Director, Majority, Senate Finance
            Committee; Elizabeth Fowler -- Chief Health Counsel,
            Minority, Senate Finance Committee and Kirsten Sloan --
            Deputy Director, Health Issues Federal Affairs, AARP

        --  Medicare Provider Payments; Debbie Curtis, Chief of Staff,
            Office of Rep. Pete Stark (D-Calif.); Deborah Williams,
            Professional Staff, House Ways & Means Health
            Subcommittee; Timothy Trysla, Special Assistant to the
            Administrator, CMS

        --  Medical Devices: Approval and Coverage Challenges; Dr.
            Sean Tunis, Chief Medical Officer, CMS; and Dr. David
            Feigal, Director, Center for Devices and Radiological
            Health, FDA

WHEN:   Thursday, May 15th    8:00am - 4:45pm EDT

WHERE:  St. Regis Hotel
        16th and K Street, NW
        Washington, DC