Access Health to provide healthcare options to previously homeless families; first-of-its-kind program offers Personal Health Advisor to residents of San Francisco's Clara House.

RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 17, 1995--Access Health Inc. (NASDAQ:ACCS) announced Thursday a unique agreement that will provide its Personal Health Advisor (PHA) to families living in San Francisco's Clara House.

Clara House residents, formerly homeless families who are looking for a new start, will receive PHA, a service that was previously offered only through specific healthcare plans. Access Health is pleased to offer free telephone access to healthcare information for families in this program. These are families who typically have few other healthcare options.

Personal Health Advisor is a 24 hour, personal health management program providing consumers with a broad range of healthcare information including symptom assessment, health education and general information. The residents will be able to call registered nurses 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including holidays, to ask questions or receive help in deciding the most appropriate medical course of action based on the caller's symptoms.

As part of the agreement, Access Health will also provide its AudioHealth Library which is another 24 hour telephone service that provides callers with information on over 430 pre-recorded health topics. Topics range from fevers and bee stings to heart disease and cancer.

"We are happy to provide Personal Health Advisor to those who do not have many healthcare options and are not able to rely on consistent healthcare," said Kenneth B. Plumlee, president and chief executive officer of Access Health Inc. "Our services are designed to empower individuals by providing them with the information they need, when they need it, to proactively manage their own health. We look forward to helping all Clara House families with any type of healthcare problem or concern."

Clara House is an educational/employment-based transitional housing program for homeless families. This program, sponsored by Compass Community Services, is two years in length, provides child care, counseling, parenting and substance abuse recovery assistance and life skill training.

"Personal Health Advisor is a wonderful addition to the services we have already established at Clara House," said Kathy Furr, program director. "Healthcare privileges such as these are not common to the residents. Access Health has provided the families with the comfort of knowing that they can call for healthcare advice whenever they need it."

Personal Health Adivsor has more than 4 million members enrolled and has established a new 800 number enabling consumers to directly take advantage of the services. Consumers interested in signing up for PHA or receiving more information on the program may call 800/999-1623.

Access Health Inc. is a leading provider of personal health management services designed to help managed care organizations, self-insured employers, organized physician groups and hospital-based delivery systems improve the quality of care, reduce costs and improve member satisfaction. Its services include health information and medical management programs that are designed to improve the quality of care and patient access to healthcare information.

CONTACT: Access Health

David Pincus, 916/851-4000

or

White & Co.

Laura Hawkins, 415/274-8127