Press Release Details

FRANKLIN LAKES, N.J. and TETERBORO, N.J., Mar 15, 2004 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- Medco Health Solutions (NYSE: MHS), one of the nation's leading providers of pharmacy benefit management services, and Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NYSE: DGX), the nation's leading provider of diagnostic testing, information and services, today announced a new initiative to provide physicians with online access to pharmacy benefit management services. The new services will be available to physicians through Quest Diagnostics' eMaxx(R) physician Internet portal, developed by MedPlus, the healthcare information technology subsidiary of Quest Diagnostics.

"E-prescribing can improve patient safety and reduce costs for employers and plan sponsors by helping to reduce the number of prescribing errors and by providing patient-specific benefit information during the prescription decision-making process," said John Driscoll, senior vice president, product and business development, Medco Health. "Our relationship with Quest Diagnostics and MedPlus will help bring e-prescribing technology to more physicians and their staff, giving them access to real-time information about patients' health plans, formularies and medication histories."

As part of the initiative, Medco Health will make its pharmacy benefit information available to patients' physicians through the ePrescribing feature on the eMaxx portal. Physicians using eMaxx will be able to view Medco Health patients' formulary information and medication histories across multiple providers, and will be able to prescribe medication at the point of care in a manner that is consistent with the HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) privacy and security requirements. eMaxx currently enables physicians to order diagnostic tests and review laboratory test results online, view clinical and administrative information from many sources, and share patient information with medical colleagues while protecting the confidentiality of this information.

"When physicians have access to critical patient information over a period of time, including laboratory test results and medication histories, as well as point of care access to insurance plan formularies, they can make the best possible decisions for their patients," said Richard A. Mahoney, president, MedPlus. "We are excited about this agreement because it will provide physicians access to these clinically useful tools."

eMaxx will connect to Medco Health's data through RxHub(R), an electronic information exchange that enables physicians who use electronic prescribing technology to link to pharmacy benefit managers, health plans and pharmacies. RxHub helps to increase patient safety and convenience, safeguard patients' privacy, and reduce overall system cost by serving as a conduit for the secure exchange of prescription plan information and by routing prescriptions to the patients' choice of pharmacy. RxHub is a joint venture formed by Medco Health, AdvancePCS, and Express Scripts, the three leading pharmacy benefit managers in the United States.

About Quest Diagnostics

Quest Diagnostics Incorporated is the nation's leading provider of diagnostic testing, information and services, providing insights that enable healthcare professionals to make decisions that improve health. The company offers the broadest access to diagnostic testing services through its national network of laboratories and patient service centers, and provides interpretive consultation through its extensive medical and scientific staff. Quest Diagnostics is the leading provider of esoteric testing, including gene-based medical testing, and provides advanced information technology solutions to healthcare organizations and clinicians to improve patient care. Additional company information is available at: www.questdiagnostics.com

The statements in this press release which are not historical facts or information may be forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and outcomes to be materially different. Certain of these risks and uncertainties may include, but are not limited to, competitive environment, changes in government regulations, changing relationships with customers, payers, suppliers and strategic partners and other factors described in the Quest Diagnostics Incorporated 2003 Form 10-K and subsequent filings.

About MedPlus

MedPlus(R) is a leading developer and integrator of clinical connectivity and data management solutions for healthcare organizations and clinicians. These solutions efficiently and securely collect, store, manage and retrieve clinical information within an organization, enterprise or community via virtual private networks and/or the Internet. MedPlus solutions, including ChartMaxx(R) (electronic patient record solution) and eMaxx(R) (physician- focused clinical integration portal solution) have been implemented in more than 125 hospitals throughout North America. MedPlus is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Quest Diagnostics Incorporated. For more information, visit the Company's Web site at www.medplus.com.

About Medco Health

Medco Health Solutions, a leading pharmacy benefits manager with the nation's largest mail order pharmacy operations, assists its customers to moderate the cost and enhance the quality of prescription drug benefits provided to members nationwide. Its customers include private and public- sector employers and healthcare organizations. Medco Health is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol MHS. On the Net: www.medcohealth.com.

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements involve risks and uncertainties which may cause results to differ materially from those set forth in the statements. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed, and actual results may differ materially from those projected. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward- looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Forward-looking statements in this presentation should be evaluated together with the risks and uncertainties that affect our business, particularly those mentioned in the Risk Factors section of the Company's Registration Statement on Form 10 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC File No. 1-31312).

Medco Health Contacts: Jennifer Leone - Media Ph: (201) 269-6402 jennifer_leone@medcdohealth.com Quest Diagnostics Contacts: Jennifer Somers - Media Ph: (201) 393-5700 Laure Park - Investors Ph: (201) 393-5030