Apria Healthcare Announces Strategic Alliance with American Medical Alert Corp. to Provide Personal Emergency Response System (PERS) Services.

LAKE FOREST, Calif. & OCEANSIDE, N.Y. -- Apria Healthcare Group Inc. and American Medical Alert Corp. (NASDAQ:AMAC) jointly announce a strategic alliance in which the two companies will collaborate to provide personal emergency response systems (PERS) and monitoring services as an Apria-branded service. PERS services enable older adults to remain independent at home, while providing around-the-clock monitoring services and emergency response in the event of a fall or accident at home. Apria will offer the PERS services through its nationwide branch network which serves over two million patients annually. Under the new agreement, AMAC will be Apria's exclusive provider of PERS products and services.

"Apria's expanded offering of PERS services will be extremely beneficial to the older adults we serve and other homecare patients who require additional 'safety net' services which facilitate independent living," said Lawrence A. Mastrovich, President and Chief Operating Officer. "In 2000, total direct costs related to fall injuries exceeded $19 billion in adults aged 65 and older, and the financial toll is only expected to increases as America's population ages further. Studies have concluded that early intervention after a fall can reduce total treatment costs and avoid long-term care altogether. Our strategic alliance with American Medical Alert will enable Apria to fulfill our patients' increasing needs for high-touch, remote monitoring solutions at home."

"The opportunity to work with Apria signifies AMAC's ability to expand our market share through new marketing and distribution channels," said Jack Rhian, President and Chief Executive Officer of AMAC. "We are pleased to support Apria's initiative and share the company's commitment to enhancing the quality of care and supporting the activities of daily living for their patients nationwide. This complements AMAC's core objective to enhance and support the independence of older adults and the disabled."

About Apria Healthcare Group Inc.

Apria Healthcare provides home infusion therapy, home respiratory therapy and home medical equipment through approximately 500 locations serving patients in all 50 states. The company was the first home respiratory/medical equipment services provider to seek and obtain independent accreditation from the Joint Commission almost 20 years ago. Today, Apria and its divisions are accredited by the Joint Commission and the Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC). With over $2.0 billion in annual net revenues, Apria is the nation's leading home healthcare company. For more information, visit www.apria.com or www.coramhc.com.

About American Medical Alert Corp.

AMAC is a healthcare communications company dedicated to the provision of support services to the healthcare community. AMAC's product and service portfolio includes Personal Emergency Response Systems (PERS) and emergency response monitoring, electronic medication reminder devices, disease management monitoring appliances and healthcare communication solutions services. AMAC operates eight U.S.-based communication centers under various local trade names to support the delivery of high quality healthcare communications. For additional information, please visit www.amac.com.