American Specialty Health Awards Scholarships to Acupuncture Students

SAN DIEGO (August 30, 2006) – American Specialty Health (ASH), the nation’s leading specialty benefits company for complementary health care and wellness programs, recently announced the recipients of its 2006 scholarships for students pursuing careers in acupuncture. The awards are two of several given out this year to students of various complementary health care disciplines in an annual scholarship competition administered by ASH subsidiary American Specialty Health Plans of California, Inc. (ASH Plans).

The scholarship winners are Poney Chiang, a student at the New York campus of the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine, and Al Thieme, a student at the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine in Portland, Ore. Chiang and Thieme will each receive $7,500, which will be applied toward further studies in acupuncture.

Criteria for the ASH Plans acupuncture scholarships included grade point average, financial need, and participation in various professional activities. Applicants were also required to complete an essay on their studies in acupuncture and complementary health care.

“As shown by their many academic accomplishments and their outstanding essays on the role of evidence-based medicine in complementary health care, Mr. Chiang and Mr. Thieme have shown that they share a unique foresight into the U.S. health care system,” said George DeVries, chairman, president, and chief executive officer of ASH. “We are pleased to recognize these fine students as ASH’s acupuncture scholarship recipients for 2006.”

Since 2001, students pursuing careers in various aspects of complementary health care have been eligible to apply for scholarships totaling $45,000 annually through the ASH Scholarship Program. Qualifying students are those studying acupuncture, chiropractic, dietetics, massage therapy, or naturopathy at accredited institutions across the country.

The deadline for the 2007 ASH acupuncture scholarships is May 1 of next year. To learn more about the program and future scholarship deadlines, please visit ASHCompanies.com/Providers.

ASH and its subsidiaries comprise the nation’s leading specialty benefits organization for complementary health care benefit, affinity discount, health education, and wellness programs. ASH Plans is California’s first and largest specialized health plan for acupuncture and chiropractic, providing benefit programs to full-service health plans and employer groups.

Based in San Diego, ASH has over 500 employees and covers more than 12 million members in benefit programs and more than 80 million members in affinity discount programs. For more information, visit ASH online at ASHCompanies.com or call 800.848.3555.