Access Health to Provide Health Information Services to Georgia State Health Benefit Plan Members.

RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif.--(BW HealthWire)--Feb. 12, 1997--Access Health, Inc. (NASDAQ:ACCS) has announced an agreement to provide, through its Access Health Services business unit, health information services to 430,000 members of the State of Georgia's Health Benefit Plan, administered by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia under contract with the State Merit System.

Plan membership is made up of both active and retired state employees and school system personnel. Access Health Services features their FirstHelp(TM) symptom assessment and provider referral platform.

Under the agreement, Standard and High Option Plan members will have around-the-clock telephone access to symptom assessment, advice on appropriate care options and health information provided by specially trained registered nurses. The majority of Standard and High Option Plan members reside within Georgia, however, the service will be available regardless of the member's location.

"We are pleased the State Merit System selected us to assist in an ongoing effort to enhance access to care for State Health Benefit Plan members," Access Health Chief Executive Officer Thomas E. Gardner said. "Employers are searching for ways to provide health education and information for their employees and manage costs better at the same time. Our services will help the State of Georgia meet its objectives in both areas."

Steven D. Kiemele, director of the Georgia Merit System's Health Benefit Services Division added that the new health information program is an important new benefit for health plan members. "We expect that by providing our members with timely access to medical information and to education in self-care techniques, we will ultimately help manage Plan costs by directing care to the most appropriate setting."

Access Health is the leading provider of membership-based personal health information and care management services designed to help improve quality of care, reduce costs and improve member satisfaction. The company has a total membership of more than 16 million people nationwide.

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 those relating to the timing and number of members which will result from this contract, 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 possible non-renewal of such contract. These risks are detailed in the Company's Form 10-K or 10-K/A filed for fiscal year 1996.

CONTACT: Access Health Inc.

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

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