With one digital ID, healthcare providers can now access the provider web sites of First Choice Health, Group Health Cooperative, Premera Blue Cross, Regence BlueShield, and Asuris Northwest Health

SEATTLE, WA -- December 11, 2003 -- OneHealthPort - a Seattle-based healthcare security service offering health professionals a secure portal to the online services offered by leading local health organizations - today announced that First Choice Health's administrative services line of business is now accessible with the common, OneHealthPort digital credential.

With OneHealthPort's free service, local healthcare organizations register once through the OneHealthPort web site at www.onehealthport.com, and are then able to sign up professionals within their organization for a secure, digital ID that will give them access to all participating sites. As of December 1, over 1,400 healthcare organizations and over 2,800 individuals within those organizations had already registered to use OneHealthPort's service.

First Choice Health's provider site, available through OneHealthPort at www.onehealthport.com, or at www.1stchoiceadmin.com/provider, includes information on First Choice Health Administrator's (FCHA) members including eligibility information, benefits, claims, and remittance advice. First Choice is currently working with its partner carriers and administrators to encourage participation with OneHealthPort, so that in the future, information on the First Choice Health Network PPO will also be available. First Choice Health joins Group Health Cooperative, Premera Blue Cross, Regence BlueShield and Asuris Northwest Health, which currently provide web sites with OneHealthPort security. Providence Health System will launch their secure site with OneHealthPort security in the coming months.

"We are very excited to be part of this collaborative venture to help the entire local healthcare community realize the benefits of going online," said Gary Gannaway, president and chief executive officer of First Choice Health and OneHealthPort's board chair. "By helping our customers quickly get the information they need from First Choice Health online, our goal is to help them streamline their operations and speed up care for their patients."

"We have been very pleased with how quickly local healthcare organizations have adopted the OneHealthPort service. As more and more sites participate with OneHealthPort, healthcare professionals will be able to see increasing value in being able to manage all of their online services in one place," said Richard Rubin, CEO of OneHealthPort.

OneHealthPort's security service is available for all healthcare organizations that wish to provide secure web sites to local healthcare providers. These organizations - health plans, hospitals and others with online content for healthcare providers - pay to operate the service. For OneHealthPort subscribers accessing online content, the service is provided free of charge.

About OneHealthPort
OneHealthPort is a Seattle-based healthcare security service founded by local healthcare organizations, including The Everett Clinic, First Choice Health, Group Health Cooperative, Premera Blue Cross, Regence BlueShield, and Health Services Northwest – a partnership of Providence Health System and Swedish Health Services. The company offers health professionals a secure portal to the online services offered by leading local health organizations. With OneHealthPort, healthcare professionals have a single way to sign on to secure local healthcare sites on the web to check claims status, verify eligibility, manage referrals, access clinical information online, and more.