Equifax Medical Credentials Verification Service Among First To Receive NCQA Certification

HMOs to Obtain Credentials Verification Without Need for Added Oversight

Atlanta, September 24, 1996 -- Equifax Medical Credentials Verification Services (EMCVS) announced today it is among the first credentials verification organizations (CVO) to receive a first-of-its-kind certification from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) for 10 out 10 verification services. The new NCQA certification of CVOs is expected to save health maintenance organizations additional time and money by reducing their oversight requirements.

The certification enables health maintenance organization's (HMOs) to verify the credentials of their medical personnel through EMCVS without providing otherwise mandated annual oversight of the verification process. If an HMO uses a non-certified credentials verification organization it must not only conduct initial due diligence at its own expense to ensure compliance with NCQA standards but also conduct annual audits of the completed credentialing files.

"Certifying a credentials verification organization and eliminating the annual oversight requirement will save an HMO additional time and money while still ensuring appropriate verification of medical credentials and helping meet one of the six categories for overall NCQA accreditation for the HMO," said Richard Crutchfield, Senior Vice President for Equifax Medical Credentials Verification Services.

"We are very proud to be among the first credentials verification organizations to receive NCQA certification. We have always strived to provide the best service and highest quality for our customers to reduce their costs and paperwork burden. We believe meeting the standards for NCQA certification recognizes our efforts toward quality and provides a unique benefit to HMOs using our service," Crutchfield said.

In obtaining the certification, EMCVS had to meet rigorous on-site and off-site evaluations documenting its performance compared to NCQA standards for properly investigating and verifying the credentials of medical personnel on behalf of HMOs. Equifax Medical Credentials Verification Services provides primary source verification of physician credentials for healthcare organizations in both standard reports and the new Equifax' Credentials On-Line.

Equifax' Credentials On-Line is the only available online access to an extensive national database that enables managed care organizations and hospitals to verify physician credentials immediately, eliminating the cost and time delays associated with the usual manual credentialing process.

This is the first time that NCQA has provided certification to credentials verification organizations, a relatively new arena in the healthcare field. Healthcare organizations must verify the credentials of physicians and other healthcare providers at the time they join a network or medical staff and at least every two years thereafter. CVOs help healthcare organizations meet this requirement.

EMCVS's certification status applies to the following 10 out of 10 verification services: license to practice, hospital privileges, DEA/CDS certification, malpractice insurance, claims history, application, NPDB query, FSMB/sanctions against licensure, Medicaid/Medicare sanctions, and board certification/residency completion/medical school graduation.

Equifax's growing line of credentials verification services has been met with enthusiasm. In addition to HMOs, EMCVS provides credentials verification services to hospitals, which are accredited through a separate accreditation organization. Current HMO clients include Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Healthsource, Health Plus, ODS Health Plan, and Phoenix Healthcare among others. For more information about Equifax Medical Credentials Verification Services, including Equifax' Credentials On-Line, call 1-800-321-6693.

The National Committee for Quality Assurance, located in Washington, D.C., is an independent, non-profit organization that certifies credentials verification organizations and accredits managed care organizations. It is the foremost judge of a credentials verification organization's performance. NCQA also makes health plans accountable for the quality of care and service they deliver by evaluating health plans= internal quality processes through accreditation reviews and by developing measures to gauge health plan performance.

Equifax Inc. (NYSE: EFX), 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, insure lives and property and control health care costs. 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 June 30, 1996, were $1.7 billion.