Access Health Reports Earnings Up Four-Fold Over Prior Year.

RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 7, 1996--Access Health, Inc. (NASDAQ: ACCS) reported record earnings and revenues for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended September 30, 1996. The company reported earnings of $2.5 million, or 18 cents a share on revenues of $18 million for the fourth quarter, compared to earnings of $1.1 million, or 10 cents a share on revenues of $10.6 million for the same period a year ago. Per share amounts have been adjusted to reflect the company's 3 for 2 stock split effective February 29, 1996.

For the year ended September 30, 1996, Access Health reported net income of $8.1 million, or 61 cents a share on revenues of $62 million, compared to net income of $1.5 million or 14 cents a share, on revenues of $31.6 million in 1995.

"We are very pleased with our fourth quarter and fiscal year results," Chief Executive Officer Thomas E. Gardner said. "Our financial results and continued growth reflect the growing demand for personal health management services and the strength of Access Health's strategies and product offerings."

Access Health began its 1997 fiscal year with 11.4 million members enrolled in its Personal Health Advisor(R) service, as compared to 5 million members at the beginning of fiscal year 1996.

During the fourth quarter, Access Health announced its planned acquisition of Informed Access Systems of Broomfield, Colo. The acquisition, which is subject to shareholder approval, is expected to close by late November.

"This merger will broaden our product line and strengthen our medical management capabilities," Gardner noted. "By joining forces with IAS, we will have the opportunity to blend the strengths of each company, resulting in more choice and flexibility for our customers."

Gardner added that the merger, which will increase total enrollment to 16 million members, is expected to be accretive to fiscal year 1997 earnings.

Also during the fourth quarter, Access Health announced new contracts with Medigap of New Jersey, Inc., the HMO subsidiary of Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey; Prime Advantage Health Plan and CommunityCare HMO Senior Health Plan, both of Oklahoma; and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida. Additionally, the company announced an expanded contract with Blue Cross of California.

Last week, the company announced that it had been informed by the Director's Office of the Federal Employees Program (FEP) of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association of its intent to contract with Access Health for personal health management services on a pilot basis in selected locations, beginning in 1997. Depending on the results of the pilot, the contract may be extended to cover enrollees in the Federal Employees Program on a nationwide basis. The Federal Employees Program covers approximately 3.6 million people.

Access Health is the leading provider of membership-based personal health management services designed to help health plans, HMOs, self-insured employers and hospital-based delivery systems improve quality of care, reduce costs and improve member satisfaction. The company's flagship product, Personal Health Advisor(R), is a membership-based personal health management service that provides consumers with immediate access to a broad range of health information and counseling services. Members can receive information 24 hours a day, seven days a week via the telephone, the Internet, printed materials and cable TV through its partnership with America's Health Network.

Access Health is headquartered at 11020 White Rock Road, Rancho Cordova, Calif., 95670. The phone number is 916/851-4000, the fax number is 916/852-3890 and the corporate World Wide Web address is http://www.access-health.com.

Certain statements contained in this release, including information related to the company's continued growth, demand for the company's services, strength of the company's strategies and products, impact of recently announced contracts and the completion of the IAS merger and its accretive nature, are forward-looking statements and therefore are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results may differ and such differences may be material. These statements involve risks and uncertainties, including the ability to obtain shareholder approval and satisfy closing conditions for the IAS merger, successful integration of IAS's operations, timing and the ability to achieve operating synergies for the combined company, continued success of the company's products and services, and continued growth of the market, including the ability to secure additional contracts and expand and retain existing contracts. These risks are detailed in the Company's Form 10K/A filed for fiscal year 1995, the reports filed on Form 10-Q for the first, second and third quarters of fiscal year 1996 and the Proxy Statements for the special stockholders meeting to approve the IAS merger. -0-

                           Access Health Inc.
               Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations
                  (In thousands, except per share amounts)
                               (Unaudited)


                             Three Months Ended      Year Ended
                                Sept. 30,             Sept. 30,

                              1995      1996       1995       1996

Revenues:
 Personal health management
 services.................. $ 7,849  $  15,570  $  20,207  $  52,026
 Health systems services...   2,750      2,406     11,346     10,047
   Total revenues..........  10,599     17,976     31,553     62,073

Costs and expenses:
  Cost of revenues:
  Personal health management
   services................   4,212      7,543     13,214     26,349
  Health systems services..   2,094      1,373      7,498      6,773
  Product and other
   development.............     454      1,473      1,708      3,841
  Sales and marketing......   1,087      2,098      3,651      6,766
  General and
   administrative..........   1,059      1,692      3,456      6,255
    Total costs and
     expenses..............   8,906     14,179     29,527     49,984

Income from operations.....   1,693      3,797      2,026     12,089

Other income...............     142        391        570      1,453

Income before income taxes.   1,835      4,188      2,596     13,542
Provision for income taxes.     747      1,676      1,056      5,417

Net income................. $ 1,088  $   2,512  $   1,540  $   8,125

Net income per share....... $  0.10  $    0.18  $    0.14  $    0.61

Shares used in per share
 calculations..............  11,357     13,843     11,145     13,340

CONTACT: Access Health

Jan Emerson, 916/864-4784 (Media Relations)

Matt Plavan, 916/851-4012 (Investor Relations)