American Specialty Health Receives Five Web Site Accreditations from URAC

San Diego, CA (November 18, 2003) -- American Specialty Health, Incorporated (ASH), the nation's leading complementary health care benefits organization, announced that it has been awarded full URAC accreditation for five health Web sites: Healthyroads.com, ASHCompanies.com, ASHPlans.com, ASHNetworks.com, and ASHProviders.com. URAC Web Site Accreditation is designed to help Internet consumers by verifying the accuracy and credibility of the content published on health Web sites and addresses important oversight issues such as privacy protection, security, disclosure of financial relationships, and operations.

In 2001, ASH was one of the first organizations in the country to receive URAC Health Web Site Accreditation for its Healthyroads Web site. Healthyroads is an award-winning e-commerce site that offers a broad range of tools, resources, and information to help consumers better manage their health. Accreditation for ASHNetworks.com and ASHPlans.com followed in early 2002. URAC Web site accreditations are valid for one year and require annual re-evaluation to receive re-accreditation. After completing an extensive review of the sites, URAC has granted re-accreditation for Healthyroads.com, ASHNetworks.com, and ASHPlans.com.

This year, ASH received accreditation for the first time for two additional Web sites: ASHCompanies.com and ASHProviders.com. ASHCompanies.com is an online resource for news and information about ASH and its subsidiaries. And, ASHProviders.com allows ASH's 20,000 contracted chiropractors, acupuncturists, massage therapists, naturopathic doctors, and dietitians to access information and conduct business with ASH online through ASHLink.

"These additional accreditations further demonstrate our unwavering commitment to quality and accountability, and the strategy we have taken with all of our Internet programs," said George DeVries, chairman, president, and CEO of ASH.

URAC is a leader in the accreditation of health and managed care organizations. Founded in 1990, URAC currently offers accreditation programs that span a broad spectrum of health care services. URAC has issued more than 2,300 accreditation certificates to more than 500 health care programs. URAC-accredited organizations do business in all 50 states and provide services to more than 150 million Americans.

Garry Carneal, URAC president and CEO, said, "By applying for and receiving URAC accreditation, American Specialty Health has demonstrated a commitment to quality health care. Quality health care is crucial to our nation's welfare, and it is important to have organizations that are willing to measure themselves against national standards."

ASH subsidiaries American Specialty Health Networks, Inc. and American Specialty Health Plans of California, Inc. are also URAC-accredited for seven other complementary health care programs: Health Plan, HIPAA Privacy, Claims Processing, Health Network with Credentialing, Workers' Compensation Network, Workers' Compensation Utilization Management, and Health Utilization Management.

ASH and its subsidiaries are the nation's leading specialty benefits organization for complementary health care, providing benefit, health education, and affinity network programs to health plans, insurance carriers, employer groups, and trust funds nationwide. Its subsidiary, American Specialty Health Plans of California, Inc., which operates in California, is the nation's first and largest specialty health plan for chiropractic and acupuncture. Based in San Diego, ASH has over 500 employees and more than 9 million members in benefit programs nationwide. For more information about ASH, visit its Web site at www.ashcompanies.com.