For Immediate Release

Contact:
Scott Harris
Milliman Care Guidelines
+1 206 381.8160

James S. Loughman
Donley Communications
+1 212 751.6126

Fidelis Care of New York Selects Milliman Care Guidelines Clinical Guidelines and Software

New License Agreement Supports Quality of Care with Evidence-Based Criteria

SEATTLE, WA August 16, 2004 — Milliman Care Guidelines, a division of Milliman, has licensed its evidence-based clinical guidelines, the Milliman Care Guidelines^® to Fidelis Care New York. The agreement provides Fidelis Care access to the entire selection of Care Guidelines products, including Ambulatory Care, Inpatient and Surgical Care, Recovery Facility Care, and Home Care, and CareGuideQI^®, Milliman’s interactive software.

The Care Guidelines span the continuum of patient care and provide access to evidence-based knowledge and best practices for treating common conditions in a variety of care settings. The availability of these tools facilitates coordination of care and assists with smooth patient transitions. CareGuideQI measures and evaluates the application of criteria supplied by the Care Guidelines, enabling consistent pairing of patient information with best practice knowledge. This product improves Fidelis Care’s abilities to anticipate patient needs, improve the quality and efficiency of healthcare delivery and increase patient satisfaction.

“We are determined to fully utilize the data provided by CareGuideQI,” said Richard Weinberg, Assistant Vice President of Quality Healthcare Management at Fidelis Care. “The evaluation of our processes is an ideal first step in facilitating the coordination of care and increasing the effectiveness of every decision. Our commitment is to quality healthcare and these tools support that mission,” Weinberg added.

Many of the products are fully integrated with current Fidelis software systems, presenting a more efficient working environment where one system can be used with the confidence that it is backed by the consistency of the Care Guidelines.
Scott Harris, Director of Marketing and Sales for Milliman Care Guidelines said, “We are pleased to be working with Fidelis Care; their commitment to quality healthcare in New York State is exceptional. Health plans like Fidelis Care that combine the evidenced-based Care Guidelines with the powerful capabilities of CareGuideQI^® are using the system to its fullest advantage.

About Fidelis Care New York

Fidelis Care is the Catholic-sponsored healthcare plan in New York State, providing residents in 33 counties with quality, affordable care through the Family Health Plus, Child Health Plus, and Medicaid programs. Fidelis Care members receive care from their own personal physicians and are covered for emergency and hospital care, regular checkups, preventive care, eye exams, and more. Fidelis Care also recently launched Fidelis Medicare Advantage, a Medicare product line in two central New York state counties.

About Milliman Care Guidelines

Milliman Care Guidelines, located in Seattle, WA, is a division of Milliman and provides its Care Guidelines to many of the firm’s clients in the hospital and insurance industries. The Care Guidelines are evidence-based tools that guide care and improve care management across the continuum of care. They reflect current best practices for the actual working environment of today’s healthcare organizations. The Milliman Care Guidelines are used to support the health care of one in three Americans.

Milliman, whose corporate offices are in Seattle, serves the full spectrum of business, financial, government and union organizations. Founded in 1947 as Milliman & Robertson, the company has 32 offices in the United States as well as offices in Bermuda, Hong Kong, London, Madrid, Mexico City, Milan, Sao Paulo, Seoul and Tokyo. Milliman employs approximately 1,800 people, including a professional staff of more than 800 qualified consultants and actuaries. The firm has consulting practices in employee benefits, healthcare, life insurance/financial services, and property & casualty insurance. It is a founding member of Milliman Global, an international organization of consulting firms serving insurance, employee benefits and healthcare clients worldwide. For further information, visit www.careguidelines.com or call 888.464.4746.