The CDC recently released their annual status report on the health of our nation, titled: Health, United States 2004. Some of the findings include:

“The prevalence of overweight and obesity among adults 20-74 years of age was 47 percent in 1976-80, but increased to 65 percent in 1999-2002. During this period the prevalence of obesity only among adults 20-74 years of age increased from 15 to 31 percent.”

“Between 1991 and 2002 the number of cocaine-related emergency department episodes per 100,000 population tripled for persons 35 years and over, to 79 episodes per 100,000. Males, age 26-34 years, had the highest episode rate, 222 per 100,000 in 2002.”

In 2002 life expectancy at birth reached a new high of 77.4 years. As a comparison, it was 75.4 years in 1990. Mortality from heart disease declined almost 3 percent in 2002, while the mortality rate from cancer declined more than 1percent.

“In 1999-2000 more than 60 percent of adults age 45-64 years and more than 80 percent of adults age 65 years and over reported taking at least one prescription drug during the past month.”

“Between 1995-96 and 2000-01 there was a substantial increase in the rate that antidepressant drugs, blood glucose/sugar regulators, and cholesterol-lowering drugs were prescribed, ordered, or provided during visits to physician offices and hospital outpatient departments. The percent of adults using antidepressants almost tripled between 1988-94 and 1999-2000. Use is higher among women than men. In 1999-2000, 10 percent of women 18 years and over reported taking an antidepressant in the past month, compared with 4 percent of men.”

The full report is available at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/.

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ExamOne and Intellisys are combining the paramedical expertise of ExamOne with the innovative technology solutions from Intellisys to streamline the requirement acquisition process for brokerage agencies. With ExamOne's imaging solutions agencies can expect the same industry-leading imaging and connectivity solutions of Intellisys in addition to the high-quality exams relied on from ExamOne.

Vertical Integration
The goal is to vertically integrate the requirement acquisition process of paramedical exams, imaging solutions, attending physician statements (APS) and other underwriting requirement products. This integration simplifies the order, status and retrieval of those products and gives agencies one source for all underwriting requirement needs.

Not Just a Paramedical Company
As a paramedical service provider, ExamOne has always been dedicated to assisting insurance companies and agencies in their efforts by quickly and accurately gathering the information needed for underwriting. And now by offering imaging solutions through ExamOne, it’s another opportunity to apply the commitment and high quality service to imaging – the same commitment that has made ExamOne the second largest insurance paramedical services provider in just 5 years.

	Now brokerage agencies can obtain imaging services and paramedical services from a centralized source and the process is more convenient than ever.

For more information on ExamOne's Imaging Solutions, please contact your LabOne sales representative or email imagingsupport@labone.com.

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The LabOne Logistics EDGE system is the most advanced web enabled, real-time tracking application for laboratory logistics in the world. The EDGE is an exclusive suite of programs designed to enhance the logistics capability of LabOne to track, trace, and receive specimens on a local, regional, national and global basis. It’s the cutting technology like this that has help build LabOne into the largest single-site laboratory without sacrificing quality or service.

This sophisticated suite of software allows for the most detailed control and tracking of everything from real-time courier updates across the country to visually tracking the flight patterns of aircrafts transporting specimens to LabOne. With LabOne Logistics EDGE, client history, client details, pickup records and history, client issues and questions history, dispatch details, fleet records, flight tracking, flight history, LASER tracking, supply chain order tracking and many more features, are just a click away.

LabOne Logistics EDGE give clients the edge by providing them and LabOne personnel important logistics information while maintaining the highest levels of quality and efficiency in the industry.

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MVR State Forms for Colorado

By now you should have received a ChoicePoint fax requesting updated forms for getting MVRs from Colorado. As you may recall, the state out-sourced their database management last year and a new form and agreement were required to be completed to gain access to their results. The form and agreement have now both been revised.

If you have not yet received notification, please contact Ron Barratt at ron.barratt@labone.com or 913-577-1930 or contact ChoicePoint at 800-456-6432, options 3, 3, 3.

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The completion of our interface to Ingenix is on track to be completed by January 23, 2005. LabOne formed a strategic alliance with Ingenix in October of 2004 to offer an enhanced product to the life insurance industry that will be called ScriptCheck, powered by Ingenix MedPoint. Improved data and functionality include:

• Expanded access to prescription data. Customers will have access to one of the largest networks of pharmacy claims data in the world.
• Detailed prescribing physician information including prescribing physician name, address, phone, and specialty.
• Fast turnaround time.
• Dispensing pharmacy information including name, address, and phone.
• Drug reference to look up drug indications and classes.

The product may be ordered with profiles received via LabOne's CaseView software or a system to system interface. Additionally, ordering time can be eliminated by automatically ordering based on information in the lab ID slip or reflexively if certain lab results are abnormal. There is no charge if the applicant is not found.

What Will Change?
Ordering via CaseView will remain fast and easy. The required data elements will include First Name, Last Name, DOB, Gender (M or F), SSN, State of Residence and Zip Code. Please note that Zip Code is a new required field.

Profiles include the results of a five-year history search with detailed drug and insurance eligibility information, treating physicians, drug indications, pharmacy information, and the outcome of predictive modeling performed by Ingenix.

For more information contact your LabOne Insurance Services sales representative.

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LifePlus Upgrades

LifePlus has been upgraded in three significant ways. First, we have added an OFAC/PATRIOT Act screen to identify potential terrorists. If you get a “hit” on the OFAC screen, you will get instructions on the next actions to take in the “Consumer Statement” section of the report.

Second, we are displaying “Consumer Alerts” and “Consumer Warnings” to identify when service men and women’s files are being accessed, and also to identify files with suspected or known fraud situations or identity thefts. Again, we will include next steps in the “Consumer Statement” section of the report.

Third, at the top of the report, under the “RECAP” section, we added an alert for situations where the address used to order the LifePlus report does not match the current or former addresses in the database. Your applicant/claimant may have moved but you will want to verify the address, generally.

Finally, we continue to look for other database sources of underwriting — pertinent information to make available via the LifePlus product set. Two databases currently being examined are criminal court records and an SSN verification screen.

Consumer Disclosure and Consumer Disputed Information
The Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act of 2003 (‘FACT Act’) amends the Fair Credit Reporting Act (‘FCRA’) thereby enabling consumers to more easily counter identity theft and restore their accurate credit histories. LabOne is cooperating with our information providers to comply with both the intent and letter of this act. As you likely know, you may always release information we have provided you in LifePlus, MVR, and inspection reports directly to subjects of those reports. LabOne is also prepared to provide Consumer Disclosure as prescribed by the FCRA as well.

Additionally, we have recently agreed on a process with both Equifax and CSC whereby the latter two companies will reinvestigate any disputed information shown in our LifePlus products that was provided by either entity. LabOne will continue to provide the reinvestigation of database information that we maintain on our internal systems.

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CaseOne is a single point of contact for ordering, monitoring and managing status, and receiving results for all underwriting requirements. This issue highlights two features of CaseOne.

1. One feature used by many clients determines (diagnoses) services based off of client's age and amount requirement charts and service provider preferences. Systematically ordering these requirements provides a faster and more accurate way to initiate orders. There is no need to ensure the correct chart is in use, and automation provides a near real-time placement of orders and eliminates the element of human error.
2. CaseOne sets up a starter file in the LabOne system. This 'lab shell' is automatically triggered when an examination involving specimens is determined to be required. Having client demographics already in the LabOne system provides better 'matching' of information from a client order with the specimens. The 'lab shell' removes any variability that may caused by variations of a client's name, illegible writing, missing information, or any other event that may occur with the order!

A clear advantage of CaseOne: Improved accuracy of placing underwriting requirement orders and matching of lab results in our client's underwriting systems!

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