AMERICAN SPECIALTY HEALTH NETWORKS TO PROVIDE COMPLEMENTARY HEALTHCARE PROGRAMS FOR HEALTH NEW ENGLAND MEMBERS

SAN DIEGO (March 22, 2000)-- Health New England (HNE) and American Specialty Health Networks (ASHN) today announced that they have signed a letter of intent for ASHN to provide complementary healthcare programs for HNE members.

Effective July 1, 2000, Health New England members will have access to ASHN's credentialed network of chiropractors, acupuncturists and massage therapists. Participating providers have agreed to accept a 25% reduction in their fees for Health New England members. Under this program, members will make appointments with providers directly and pay them directly for their services.

Health New England members will also be able to use the ASHN/IFCN (International Fitness Club Network), a nationwide network of health and fitness facilities. Members will be provided the lowest membership rate for the type of membership selected when using the network. Additionally, participating clubs will allow new members to try their facilities at no charge for a week prior to joining (subject to space availability).

In addition, healthyroads.com, an ASHN affiliate, will offer internet support for complementary health care services for Health New England members. Healthyroads.com will be linked to Health New England's web site and will offer:

• Educational Resources: one of the most comprehensive internet sources of educational information on complementary and alternative medicine.
• Health and Wellness Products: over 1,200 health and wellness products at guaranteed low pricing.
• Provider Directory: an online directory of chiropractors, acupuncturists, massage therapists and fitness clubs across the nation participating in the ASHN network. Members will be able to quickly and easily locate a participating complementary healthcare provider anywhere in the country. Members can also obtain travel instructions from this website as well as a certificate for access to their chosen provider.

"Complementary healthcare is one of healthcare's most rapidly growing areas and hotly demanded by consumers," says George DeVries, President and CEO of American Specialty Health Networks. "We are pleased to partner with Health New England to provide their network access programs as well as cutting edge Internet and e-commerce solutions."

Peter Straley, Health New England's President and CEO, adds, "Our Agreement with ASHN will offer our members new options that will be a popular addition to our current benefit plans."

American Specialty Health Networks (ASHN) provides network access programs and managed care programs nationwide to health plans, insurance carriers, employer groups and trust funds. Its affiliate, American Specialty Health Plans (ASHP), is the nation's first and largest health plan for chiropractic and acupuncture services, operating in California.

ASHN/ASHP provides comprehensive services for complementary medicine, including utilization management, quality management, member and provider services, claims and credentialing. ASHN/ASHP have received seven full two-year accreditations from the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission /URAC. Based in San Diego, ASHP/ASHN has over 500 employees and covers over 14 million members nationwide.

Health New England is a managed care company located in Springfield, Massachusetts with a sales and service office in Pittsfield. Health New England serves nearly 100,000 members in western Massachusetts and northern Connecticut through various health coverage plans.