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MEDecision Announces Expansion of Collaboracare Consortium

WAYNE, Pa., – October 17, 2005 – Working to provide regional health information organizations (RHIOs), provider communities, and health insurance plans with pre-packaged, integrated components of payer/provider information exchange, MEDecision, Inc., the leader in collaborative care management, today announced that the CollaboraCare Consortium, LLC, has expanded its membership to a total of 15 leading healthcare information technology companies, including segment leading software vendors, and the largest network provider of electronic prescribing services.

Established in June of 2005 by MEDecision, the CollaboraCare Consortium’s mission is to enable providers, payers, consumers, and public health officials to improve the quality of care and reduce costs via electronic access to patients’ records, wherever care is delivered. Growth of the consortium reflects the shared view of its members that newly emerging RHIOs and existing health plan payers are enthusiastically responding to a coordinated multi-vendor package. The collaboration among software products, services and the data suppliers is designed to quickly respond to community based opportunities to exchange patient data between payers, physicians, pharmacists and other care providers.

“Created by best-of-breed vendors, the growth of CollaboraCare is critical to building a national health information exchange that will improve patient care and reduce the cost of care delivery,” said John Capobianco, president and chief marketing officer of MEDecision.

He contends that multi-million dollar proposals to build data exchange systems that require years before generating participant value are deterring RHIOs and individual health plans from committing to the establishment of cost-saving electronic health record data exchange systems. “The key is starting small and getting value from your investment, which then feeds further investment,” continued Capobianco.

The Consortium’s initial project is the integration of CapMed, the market leader in portable, personal health records, with MEDecision’s Integrated Medical Management. The resulting packaged solution will be deployed in a state-wide pilot program for diabetic patients.

Several other regional, statewide, and national efforts are currently under proposal or development between CollaboraCare Consortium members, with delivery to regional health information networks, provider communities, and health insurance plans expected in the next two quarters.

Drawn from all corners of the country and healthcare market segments, the new members of CollaboraCare include CapMed, Extended Care Information Network, Gold Standard, IntelliCare, ProviderLink, RPR Solutions and SureScripts. In addition to MEDecision, the founding members of the CollaboraCare Consortium include Cardtronic, DrFirst, HxTI, HealthTrio, Healthvision, iMetrikus, and Wellogic. More members are expected to join the consortium throughout 2005.

New Members of the CollaboraCare Consortium

CapMed, based in Newtown, Pa., is the cornerstone of the personal health management division of Bio-Imaging Technologies, Inc. CapMed provides personal health management solutions – including the CapMed Personal Health Record™ and Personal HealthKey™ – that enable patients to better monitor and manage their health. Additionally, CapMed provides hospitals, health systems, employers, and pharmaceutical organizations with interactive patient outreach solutions and e-health marketing strategies to increase market share, reduce the cost of care, and improve patient outcomes and wellness. This is accomplished through a combination of personal health information management, personalized education, and links to relevant community resources. (http://www.capmed.com)

Extended Care Information Network, Inc. (ECIN), based in Chicago, Ill., is a leading provider of software solutions and consulting resources that improve hospital Case Management operations. Their Web-based solutions include Utilization Management, Discharge Planning and Case Management systems that assist hospitals in streamlining case management work-flow, increasing productivity, improving patient throughput and reducing LOS. ECIN’s products and services are utilized by hundreds of hospitals and health systems, including many of the leading healthcare organizations in the country. (http://www.extendedcare.com)

Gold Standard, based in Tampa, Fla., is a leading developer of drug information databases, software, and clinical information solutions. The Company's products are developed by a staff of highly trained professionals with extensive experience in pharmacy practice, electronic publishing and software development. Gold Standard's customers include hundreds of hospitals, the nation's largest retail pharmacy chains and consultant pharmacy organizations, well-known health information websites, the country's top pharmacy and medical schools, and hundreds of thousands of healthcare professionals and consumers worldwide. (http://www.goldstandard.com)

IntelliCare, based in South Portland, Maine, delivers high-value, intelligent solutions for patient and provider communications through innovative technology and service. The company operates the largest network of medical contact centers in the United States and was recognized as (http://www.intellicare.com)

ProviderLink, based in Cary, N.C., is an I.T. communications company providing an innovative technology and methodology to successfully create http://www.providerlink.com)

RPR Solutions, based in King of Prussia, Pa., specializes in systems integration services and workflow productivity solutions to the health care market. Its custom designed workflow solutions increase the productivity of call center and outreach staff through a consolidated view of administrative information including eligibility, claims, and authorization information. (http://www.rprconsulting.net)

SureScripts, based in New York, N.Y., is the largest network provider of electronic prescribing services, is committed to building relationships within the healthcare community and working collaboratively with key industry stakeholders and organizations to improve the safety, efficiency, and quality of healthcare by improving the overall prescribing process. At the core of this improvement effort is the SureScripts Electronic Prescribing Network, a healthcare infrastructure, which establishes electronic communications between pharmacists and physicians and enables the two-way electronic exchange of prescription information. (http://www.surescripts.com)

For more information about the CollaboraCare Consortium, please call (610) 389-3562, or send email to Gary.Austin@MEDecision.com.

About CollaboraCare Consortium

CollaboraCare Consortium is a partnership of pioneering technology companies that, together, provide the interlocking building blocks and the ongoing support of seamless, mission-critical networks of health information. The Consortium’s networks scale from individual hospitals, clinical practices and health plans to multiple health systems, cities, regions, and states. Their end-to-end solutions are flexible and customizable to meet the needs of each healthcare community. The Consortium enables rapid and tangible wins for collaborative healthcare while laying the foundation for continued clinical excellence.

About MEDecision

MEDecision is the leader in collaborative care management. Founded in 1988, the company’s Integrated Medical Management solutions create a seamless payer-based medical management system to analyze, apply, administer and automate the management of healthcare programs and provide a common patient view at the point of care. MEDecision’s software solutions are being used to improve patient outcomes, reduce medical errors, and increase operational efficiencies for approximately (www.MEDecision.com)

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