FHCC First Health Grp. (MM)

Standard & Poor's Announces Change to U.S. Index NEW YORK, Jan. 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Gen-Probe Inc. (NASDAQ:GPRO) will replace First Health Group Corp. (NASDAQ:FHCC) in the S&P MidCap 400 after the close of trading on Friday, January 28. First Health Group is being acquired by S&P MidCap 400 constituent Coventry Health Care Inc. (NYSE:CVH) in a deal expected to close on or about that date, pending final approval. Standard & Poor's will monitor this transaction, and post any relevant updates on its website: http://www.standardandpoors.com/. Gen-Probe Inc. supplies nucleic acid tests used for diagnosing human diseases and screening donated human blood. Headquartered in San Diego, CA, the company will be added to the S&P MidCap 400 GICS (Global Industry Classification Standard) Biotechnology Sub-Industry Index. Following is a summary of the change: S&P MIDCAP 400 INDEX - January 28, 2005 COMPANY GICS ECONOMIC SECTOR GICS SUB-INDUSTRY ADDED Gen-Probe Inc. Health Care Biotechnology DELETED First Health Group Health Care Managed Health Care Additions to and deletions from an S&P equity index do not in any way reflect an opinion on the investment merits of the companies concerned. About Standard & Poor's Standard & Poor's, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE:MHP), is the world's foremost provider of independent credit ratings, indices, risk evaluation, investment research, data and valuations. With 6,000 employees in 21 countries, Standard & Poor's is an essential part of the world's financial infrastructure, and has played a leading role for more than 140 years in providing investors with the independent benchmarks they need to feel more confident about their investment and financial decisions. For more information, visit http://www.standardandpoors.com/. Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies is a leading global information services provider meeting worldwide needs in the financial services, education and business information markets through leading brands such as Standard & Poor's, BusinessWeek and McGraw-Hill Education. The Corporation has more than 280 offices in 40 countries. Sales in 2003 were $4.8 billion. Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com/. DATASOURCE: Standard & Poor's CONTACT: David M. Blitzer, Ph.D. Managing Director & Chairman of the Index Committee (212) 438-3907 Web site: http://www.standardandpoors.com/ http://www.mcgraw-hill.com/

Copyright