MultiPlan Announces 13th Year of Rural Hospital Grant Program

MultiPlan, Inc., the nation's oldest and largest independent PPO network, announces availability of applications for its 2008 Rural Health Outreach Grant Program. Through the program, ten hospitals serving rural areas will be awarded grants of $3,000 each to help them introduce or expand services, educational programs, screenings and other endeavors aimed at improving the health of people in their communities.

The program is open to rural hospitals participating in MultiPlan's PHCS, MultiPlan or HealthEOS Networks. Applications for the 2008 Rural Health Outreach Grant can be found on MultiPlan's website at http://www.multiplan.com/providers/ruralhealthgrants.cfm. All applications must be submitted by June 27, 2008. Grant recipients will be announced in August.

"MultiPlan knows that a hospital's participation as a vital and visible member of the community is integral to its ability to serve the healthcare needs of the people within that community," said Paul Goldstein, Chief Medical Officer for MultiPlan. "With this program, we help participating rural hospitals improve healthcare in areas where the local population needs it most."

Since 1995, MultiPlan has awarded nearly $250,000 through its Rural Health Outreach Grant Program. Grant recipients have used this funding to address the unique healthcare needs of the people in their neighborhoods with programs that focus on such wide-ranging health-related issues as: smoking cessation, teen fitness, diabetes management, mammogram screenings, exercise and nutrition, and healthcare access. A list of the 2007 Rural Health Outreach Grant recipients can be accessed from the company's website at: www.multiplan.com.

For more information about MultiPlan's Rural Health Outreach Grant Program, contact MultiPlan by e-mail at rural@multiplan.com. MultiPlan also offers a Toy Car Program and Holiday Card Program for pediatric departments of participating hospitals.

About MultiPlan

MultiPlan is the industry's most comprehensive provider of medical cost management solutions. The company provides over 2,100 clients with a single gateway to a host of primary, complementary and out-of-network strategies for managing the financial risks associated with healthcare claims. Clients include large and mid-sized insurers, third-party administrators, self-funded plans, HMOs and other entities that pay claims on behalf of health plans. Services include PHCS Network, the country's leading independent primary PPO network, The MultiPlan Network, the national network most often used to complement a primary PPO, fee negotiation services, a Wisconsin-based primary PPO and a national transplant network. Well over 600,000 providers participate with MultiPlan through these networks. Incorporated in 1980, MultiPlan is owned by a group of investors led by The Carlyle Group. For more information, visit www.multiplan.com.