ATLANTA and NASHVILLE, November 23, 1998 -- Equifax today announced that Equifax Healthcare Solutions will deliver patient identification verification and financial information services through ENVOY Corporation’s electronic healthcare transaction network. Hospitals subscribing to the services will automatically confirm patient identification and receive financial information to enhance the admissions process. This innovative approach allows providers to understand and accommodate patient needs at the beginning of the relationship, which results in a more effective, patient-friendly account management process.

Equifax has been serving the healthcare industry with credit and collections services for 25 years. Electronic delivery of identification verification and financial services is the latest advancement in providing information services at the point of patient registration or admission.

ENVOY will electronically transmit an inquiry to Equifax when a patient pre-registers or is admitted for a hospital appointment. Equifax will return key identifying information and action messages to enable users to confirm patient information and assist patients who may need financial assistance.

Bob Strickland, ENVOY vice president, said, "ENVOY specializes in the online EDI transaction business and we have been offering these services to providers for some time. This relationship with Equifax is a natural extension of our services. ENVOY will provide the EDI switch to transfer the request for patient information to Equifax using our existing automatic data collection capabilities. Providers can now automate the data collection and data entry process for real time access to insurance eligibility and patient identification information with this unique combination of tools resulting from our joint effort with Equifax."

It is estimated that nearly $1 trillion dollars will be spent on healthcare in this nation during 1998, with approximately 20% paid by patients out of pocket. With the rise in healthcare costs, higher deductibles, and more frequent co-payments, providers must collect a significant portion of their revenue directly from the patient.

Patient identification information that is not verified as correct at the time of pre-registration or admission can result in difficulty collecting payment for services after discharge. In a recent Equifax study of the identification information of one typical hospital’s records of patients with outstanding past-due balances, analysis revealed that 66% of the patient records had variances in name, address or Social Security Number. These records from this one hospital represented more than $2 million in outstanding receivables. Equifax's SAFESCAN service was able to detect fraudulent information in about one-sixth of these and deliver warnings such as "SSN issued to person reported deceased" and "Address is a mail receiving service." Automating the identification verification process and financial assessment results in revenue enhancement and increased staff productivity for healthcare providers.

"By using a front-end integrated solution to confirm patient identity, verify insurance eligibility, and assess risk of the patient’s financial responsibility, business offices now have powerful decision tools to assist in managing accounts receivable from patient registration through account resolution," said Margy Jones, senior vice president and general manager, Equifax Healthcare Solutions. "Getting accurate ID and financial data up front streamlines registration, assists in establishing payment plans, prioritizes collection cases and even reduces return mail."

Jones continued, "This strategy is certainly not designed to deny or delay hospital services. The process complies fully with the provisions of COBRA and the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and is a means to facilitate admission and establish pre-arrangements for meeting subsequent financial obligations for the self-pay portion of the account."

ENVOY Corporation is a leading provider of electronic data interchange services to participants in the healthcare market, including pharmacies, physicians, hospitals, dentists, billing services, commercial insurance companies, managed care organizations, state and federal government agencies and others. Further information about ENVOY Corporation is available on-line at http//www.ENVOYCORP.com.

EQUIFAX (NYSE: EFX) is a worldwide leader in shaping global commerce by bringing buyers and sellers together through its information, transaction processing, consulting and knowledge-based businesses. Equifax serves the banking, financial, retail, credit card, telecommunications/utilities, transportation and healthcare industries and government. Founded in 1899, Atlanta-based Equifax today has 14,000 employees in 18 countries and sales in more than 40 countries. Revenues for the 12 months ended September 30, 1998, were more than $1.5 billion. For more Equifax information, visit the company’s Internet web site at http://www.equifax.com.

Statements in this press release that relate to future plans, objectives, expectations, performance, events and the like are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Future events, risks and uncertainties, individually or in the aggregate, could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. Those factors could include worldwide and U.S. economic conditions, changes in demand for the company’s products and services, risks associated with the integration of acquisitions and other investments, and other factors discussed in the "forward-looking information" section in the management’s discussion and analysis included in the company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1997.