New ``Think Tank'' Addresses Business and Technology Issues Facing Health Plan Executives; Founding Member, Abovehealth®, Aims for Peer-Based Collaboration and Knowledge-Sharing

Business Wire, July 6, 2005

SAN DIEGO -- Abovehealth, a leading eHealth solution provider, today announced founding The Dolphin Group, a "think tank" comprised of industry peers who wish to discourse on the unique problems facing IT executives in the healthcare information industry. The group held its inaugural event in conjunction with last month's America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) Institute 2005. Featured guest, Susan Dentzer, Health Correspondent and Head of the Health Policy Unit of The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, spoke to a gathering of the group's members about current public policy issues.

"Today's healthcare technology environment is challenging -- and evolving rapidly," remarked Dentzer. "There will clearly be more government efforts to spur faster adoption of electronic health records. The question is how extensive these will be -- and how they will affect private IT initiatives in vital areas such as interoperability. It's a critical time to stay tuned." Dentzer also spoke about the current Administration's efforts to privatize Social Security, the effects privatization may have on Medicare and Medicaid, and the state of government funding for healthcare technology initiatives.

The need for a collaboration such as The Dolphin Group is in response to the increasingly complex nature of healthcare technology implementations, according to Jack Johnson, Chair and Founder of The Dolphin Group, and CEO of Abovehealth. "These large-scale implementations are influenced by economics, business, industry governance, user requirements, among many other things. The Dolphin Group intends to build a cooperative environment that leverages the collective experience and expertise of its CIO members to help health plans chart an effective IT strategy in the face of these challenges."

Membership in The Dolphin Group is free, and initial members include executives from leading health plans nationwide. Upcoming events include internet-based workshops and on-site lectures with featured speakers. Members of its speakers bureau include Matthew Holt, healthcare strategist and editor of FierceHealthcare, a daily digest of healthcare news; and Dr. Mark Keill, the Board of Advisors Professor of Computer Information Systems (CIS) at Georgia State University and expert in the field of software project management.

About The Dolphin Group

The Dolphin Group is a community that seeks to engage health plan technology executives in an open, collaborative forum to discuss key issues, share knowledge with peers, and help members chart an effective IT strategy. Its goal is to create an environment in which healthcare IT executives can provide greater value and leadership to their organizations through effective management and technology implementation. For information on membership or programming, call Joe Garrison at 866.837.4538 x 6358 or visit www.thedolphingroup.org.

About Abovehealth

Founded in 2001, Abovehealth is a leading eHealth solution provider. By strengthening relationships and simplifying support, Abovehealth maximizes the value of a health plan's community of members, providers, employers, and brokers. Integrating seamlessly with existing claims and administrative systems, Abovehealth replaces costly manual and paper-driven transactions with automated workflow processes, real-time transactions, interactive communications, and personalized content. The company has made agreements with more than a dozen healthcare organizations, representing more than 5 million member lives. For more information, call 866-837-4538 or visit www.abovehealth.com.