News Release

RMS DISEASE MANAGEMENT INC. TO COORDINATE CARE FOR EMPIRE BLUE CROSS AND BLUE SHIELD

A Partnership To Help Chronic Kidney Disease Patients In New York State's Largest Health Plan

McGaw Park, Ill., December 13, 2001 -- RMS Disease Management Inc., the nation's leading disease management program for people with chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease (ESRD), announced an agreement today to partner with Empire Blue Cross and Blue Shield to coordinate the care of plan members with chronic kidney disease in the state of New York. Empire Blue Cross and Blue Shield is the largest health insurer in New York State, providing health insurance coverage for 4.4 million indemnity and managed care subscribers.

"We are excited about this new partnership with Empire and look forward to helping coordinate the care of plan members with end-stage renal disease," said John Dickmeyer, M.D., RMS senior vice president for medical management. "Empire members will benefit from the same types of improved clinical outcomes we've achieved with other health plans throughout the country."

Nationally, RMS has achieved significant benefits for its health plan clients. It has helped to reduce hospitalizations by 35 percent and mortality by 20 percent for the patients who participate in the plan. In 2000, hospital bed days for people enrolled in RMS were nearly 45 percent less than the average benchmarked for similar patients by the United States Renal Data System (USRDS). In addition, emergency room visits dropped 75 percent for RMS patients between 1998 and 2000.

RMS coordinates the care of patients across the nation for private health plans and also manages the State of Florida's Medicaid program for renal patients. In total, RMS has more than 5,000 people enrolled in its programs. As part of its coordinated approach to patient care, RMS often works with people with chronic kidney disease prior to initiating dialysis in an effort to slow the progression of the disease and to help prepare patients for treatment options.

More than 300,000 people in the United States, or just over one in 1,000 Americans, are being treated for end-stage renal disease (ESRD), which occurs when the kidneys are destroyed by disease. There are an estimated one million people worldwide suffering from chronic kidney disease who are treated with some form of dialysis therapy. ESRD represents one of the most costly illnesses to treat in the United States, yet through effective disease management significant clinical benefits and cost savings can be achieved.

RMS Disease Management Inc. is an affiliate of Baxter Healthcare Corporation, a global medical-products and services company that provides critical therapies for people with life-threatening conditions. Since 1997, RMS has teamed with nephrologists to create a nationwide renal care delivery system that provides high-quality, cost-effective care for patients with chronic kidney failure and ESRD, while offering predictable costs for health plans. Over the past four years it has become the nation's leading provider of chronic kidney disease management services. For more information on RMS Disease Management Inc., visit the RMS Website at www.rmshealthsystems.com

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

	Media Contact: Lisa Scheff, (847) 948-4107