American Specialty Health Named One of the Country’s Fittest Companies By Men’s Fitness

SAN DIEGO, Jan. 16, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) — American Specialty Health (ASH), one of the nation’s premier personal health improvement organizations, was recently named one of the fittest companies in the country by Men’s Fitness magazine. The “MF Fit 15″ — the magazine’s list of the 15 fittest companies in America — appears in the February 2008 issue.

Men’s Fitness selected companies based on their access to state-of-the-art fitness facilities, cafeterias and break rooms that focus on health and nutrition, preventive medical care, programs designed specifically for employees who want to lose weight or quit smoking, and rewards and incentives for exercising regularly.

American Specialty Health was recognized for its variety of programs and benefits to improve the health and wellness of its employees. Among them:

   * Healthy vending machines stocked with snacks approved by registered    dietitians and subsidized by ASH  * An annual "Get Healthy!" award for an employee who achieves a    significant wellness goal  * A holiday weight management challenge  * Walking challenges  * Onsite health education series  * Exercise rewards programs (cash rewards for workouts)  * Run/Walk clubs  * A tai chi club  * Wellness fairs  * Sports sponsorships  * An onsite fitness center and discounted local gym memberships  * A "Weekend Warrior" club -- for employees to meet outside of work    for fitness activities  * A wellness committee in which employees from various departments    meet to brainstorm on a variety of health and wellness activities    for employees  * Health improvement coaching programs for employees with registered    dietitians, nurses, and certified fitness trainers 

ASH offers other healthy benefits including annual flu shots, injury prevention programs, blood drives, ergonomic assessments, and quiet rooms for rest and relaxation. In addition, ASH sponsors charitable walks — such as the Y-ME Walk to Empower for breast cancer — where more than 200 employees participate each year.

“To be named one of the fittest companies in the country by a trusted magazine like Men’s Fitness is a testament to our goals as an organization,” said ASH CEO and chairman George DeVries. “The national recognition reinforces our objective to sustain a healthy work environment for our employees, and show our clients that we lead by example when it comes to health and wellness.”

About American Specialty Health

American Specialty Health Incorporated is one of the nation’s premier personal health improvement organizations, providing specialty benefit programs, fitness programs, health coaching and incentives, Internet solutions, and worksite wellness programs to health plans, insurance carriers, employer groups, and trust funds nationwide.

Based in San Diego, ASH has over 600 employees and covers more than 13.4 million members in specialty benefit, fitness, and coaching programs. For more information, visit ASH online at ASHCompanies.com or call 800.848.3555.

This news release was distributed by PrimeNewswire, www.primenewswire.com

 CONTACT:  American Specialty Health           Monica Vargas             800.848.3555             monicav@ashn.com           Jeff Keller             619.578.2000             jeffk@ashn.com