Equifax Sells to HCIA its Health Analytical Services Unit

ATLANTA, November 21,1996 -- HCIA Inc. and Equifax Inc today announced a definitive agreement under which HCIA will acquire Equifax Health Analytical Services.

Equifax Health Analytical Services provides decision support services for medical care providers and payors through physician profiling and medical claims review systems that enable clients to improve quality of care while containing costs.

George D. Pillari, Chairman and CEO of HCIA, stated, "The acquisition complements the development of MCO.SYS(TM), HCIA's recently announced product that is targeted at managed care organizations. In addition to a set of proven physician profiling and data-handling tools that will be integrated into MCO.SYS(TM), the acquisition brings several new managed care customers to HCIA."

The purchase price is $11.5 million, payable in cash. The transaction is expected to close by the middle of December.

In announcing the agreement, Dan Kohl, Senior Vice President and Group Executive of Equifax Health Information Services, said the transaction is another step in Equifax's previously announced decision to exit the health information field based on the company's strategic plans and growing opportunities in its core business areas of financial and insurance services.

Equifax previously announced sales of its Health EDI Services business to National Data Corp. and its Health Administrative Services business to CENTRA. The key remaining business is Equifax Medical Credentials Verification Services, a database service for hospitals and managed-care organizations to verify physician credentials.

Although exiting the health information sector, Equifax continues its ties to the health industry. Equifax's Financial Services Group and Insurance Services Group will continue to serve a wide variety of health industry customers and Insurance Services units like Osborn Laboratories are not affected.

The Analytical Services unit being acquired by HCIA is based in Rochester, NY, and was formed by Equifax's 1994 acquisition of HealthChex, Inc. HCIA Inc is a leading healthcare information content company that develops and markets clinical and financial decision support systems used by hospitals, integrated delivery systems, managed care organizations, employers and pharmaceutical manufacturers. The company's databases and products are used to benchmark clinical performance and outcomes, profile best practices and manage the cost and delivery of health care.

An HCIA investor conference call is scheduled for 3:00 p.m., eastern time, on Thursday, November 21, 1996. Please contact the HCIA Investor Relations Department at 410-895-7515 for further information regarding the call.

Equifax Inc., committed to Global Information Leadership for the Information Age, is the leading provider of information services that help businesses grant credit, authorize and process credit card and check transactions and insure lives and property. Established in 1899 in Atlanta, Equifax today employs 14,000 people throughout North and South America, the United Kingdom and continental Europe. Revenues for the 12-month period ended September 30, 1996, exceeded $1.7 billion.