First Health Announces Appointment of Corporate Officers;
Acquisition of Small New England Based PPO

Contact: 
Edward L. Wristen
President and CEO
or 
Joseph E. Whitters
CFO 
First Health 
630-737-7511

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DOWNERS GROVE, IL, May 15, 2002 - Edward L. Wristen, President and Chief Executive Officer of First Health Group Corp. (NASDAQ: FHCC), announced today the appointment of several senior Corporate Officers.

Susan T. Smith, Vice President, Secretary and General Counsel has been with First Health since 1993. As General Counsel, Susan is responsible for managing the Legal Department, including contract negotiations, transactional activities, regulatory compliance, litigation and risk management. As Secretary, she is responsible for the corporate governance activities of the Company.

David R. Studenmund, Vice President, Strategic Planning. Mr. Studenmund is responsible for First Health's corporate business planning and budgeting processes. He also manages the Company's Internet strategies and oversees the Company's underwriting and pricing functions. Dave joined First Health in 1991.

Susan E. Oberling, Senior Vice President, Health Plan Services Administration oversees several key operational areas Company-wide such as member services, claims administration, network pricing and bill review. Susan joined First Health in 1987 in the Clinical Management Services Department.

Susan M. Fleming, Senior Vice President, Product Management. As Senior Vice President, Product Management, Susan oversees several functional areas, including product management, clinical and disease management services, communications, client services, client implementations and quality assessment. She is also responsible for the advertising and marketing of the Company's group health and workers' compensation products for clients nationwide. Ms. Fleming joined First Health in 1987.

Scott P. Smith, M.D., M.P.H. Vice President, Clinical Management Services and National Medical Director. Scott joined First Health in 1991 to oversee the daily operations of Medical Directors and other clinical management staff. In 1993 he was promoted to his current position in which he oversees all of the Company's group health and workers' compensation clinical management operations, physician services and clinical policy development. Dr. Smith also serves as a physician reviewer for the National Committee for Quality Assurance in Washington, D.C.

Ronald S. Boeving, Vice President, Information Systems and Chief Information Officer. Ron has been in charge of the Company's information technology since joining the Company in 1990. He is responsible for implementation of technical strategies corporate-wide, including the creation and maintenance of the systems infrastructure necessary for the Company to deliver integrated products and customer service as well as efficient administration of our business. Recently, Mr. Boeving was named by Computerworld to its Premier 100 IT Leaders in 2002.

Karyn R. Glogowski, Senior Vice President, Account Management. Her responsibilities include developing and maintaining long-term relationships with all group health clients. Karyn joined First Health in 1991 in the Company's Sales Department.

Patrick J. Scullion, Vice President and Controller joined First Health in 1995. He was promoted to the Company's Controller in 2001. Mr. Scullion is a Certified Public Accountant and is responsible for all Company accounting and treasury operations.

Additionally, Mr. Wristen noted the Company has acquired a small New England based PPO company, HealthCare Value Management (HCVM), headquartered in the suburban Boston area. The Company paid $24 million for HCVM and, depending on future results, may pay out over the next three years an additional $16 million based upon HCVM's performance.

First Health, the nation's premier full-service health benefits company, specializes in providing large employers with one integrated source for group health and workers' compensation. By combining pioneering technology with expert industry knowledge, First Health delivers comprehensive, cost-effective solutions for its clients nationally. For more information, visit the Company website at www.firsthealth.com.