Assurex International Endorses BenefitPoint's eCommerce Solution; Assurex Broker Network Names BenefitPoint Platform as Preferred Solution.

Business Editors/Technology Writers

COLUMBUS, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 10, 2000

BenefitPoint, Inc. today announced that Assurex International has endorsed BenefitPoint, Inc.'s eCommerce infrastructure system for its commercial insurance brokerage group. BenefitPoint, the leading Internet-based employee benefits infrastructure company for the distribution and management of group insurance and financial products, will enable Assurex brokers to manage the entire lifecycle of their clients' employee benefits products within a single comprehensive application.

Columbus, Ohio-based Assurex International has a North American Partner network of 68 of the largest independent insurance brokers in the United States and Canada, as well as Broker Affiliates in more than 55 foreign countries. Cumulatively, Assurex is the second largest manager of employee benefits premium in the United States. With BenefitPoint, Assurex Partners will electronically manage their client data and back-office operations, connect with carriers via the Internet, procure health insurance and other benefit products online, and enhance customer service through the Internet. Additional BenefitPoint features will enable Assurex brokers and their clients to handle many benefits-related functions online, including enrollment, benefits administration, eligibility data feeds, and consolidated billing.

"Five years ago, benefits were about 25 percent of the total premiums written by all Assurex Partners. Last year, benefits were close to 40 percent. The benefits side of our business is expanding rapidly and is a critical source of growth and income to nearly every Assurex Partner," commented Tom Harvey, president of Assurex International. "We are pleased to endorse the BenefitPoint platform and are confident it will spur continued growth of benefits-related income for our Assurex Partners," Harvey added.

"We're excited about Assurex's endorsement of the BenefitPoint solution," said Mark A. Pulido, BenefitPoint chairman and chief executive officer. "We see the Assurex endorsement as a clear signal that the employee benefits industry is ready to adopt a comprehensive eCommerce platform and that BenefitPoint is best equipped to provide that platform. We're proud to have the opportunity to keep Assurex brokerages on the leading edge by providing the preferred eCommerce solution."

Assurex Partners are among the leading independent insurance brokerages in their respective markets. Twenty-three of its 59 U.S. Partners have been ranked among the nation's top 100 insurance brokers by industry trade publication Business Insurance. Assurex Partners deliver property, casualty, surety, life, and employee benefits insurance for large and small clients. Assurex Partners have preferred relationships with leading domestic and international carriers, including Atlantic Mutual, Chubb, CGU, Fireman's Fund, Fortis, The Hartford, Royal, Kemper, ACE, St. Paul, and UnumProvident.

About Assurex

Assurex International is the world's largest privately held commercial insurance brokerage group. Assurex is owned by more than 68 of the largest independent insurance brokers in the United States and Canada, as well as Assurex Synergy Group Partners in more than 55 foreign countries. With local brokers in every major city of the world, Assurex is positioned to deliver seamless global insurance and risk management services wherever clients have assets at risk. Independent Assurex brokers employ more than 12,000 professionals on six continents and generate annual premiums in excess of $12 billion. For more information, see www.assurex.com.

About BenefitPoint, Inc.

BenefitPoint, Inc. delivers the leading Internet-based employee benefits infrastructure for the distribution and management of group insurance and financial products. As the central nervous system of the employee benefits industry, BenefitPoint provides a complete set of b2b services enabling benefits professionals to manage the entire group health insurance and benefits lifecycle. Building on the existing industry relationships among carriers, brokers, employers, and employees, the BenefitPoint solution combines the efficiency of the Internet with the established distribution model of the insurance industry to eliminate paper (saving everyone time and money), to make it possible to deliver more products and services (giving everyone more choices), and to make better information available (enabling everyone to make better decisions).

Releasing its first solution in December 1999, BenefitPoint has already received widespread industry adoption from regional and national insurance carriers as well as from more than 105 of the leading U.S.-based brokerage and consulting firms. The company, headquartered in San Francisco, CA, can be reached at 415/837-4120 or at www.benefitpoint.com. BenefitPoint, Inc. is privately held.

BenefitPoint is a trademark of BenefitPoint, Inc. All other company and product names mentioned here are trademarks of their respective owners.