First Health Elects New Chairman and President

Contact: Joseph E. Whitters, CFO
First Health
630-241-7511

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Downers Grove, IL - December 8, 2000 - First Health Group Corp. (NASDAQ - FHCC) is pleased to announce that the Board of Directors has elected James C. Smith to Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, and Edward L. Wristen to President and Chief Operating Officer, effective January 1, 2001. Mr. Smith, President and Chief Executive Officer since 1984, has been responsible for the overall leadership of the Company as it has grown from an entrepreneurial idea to a $2.4 billion market-cap company. Mr. Wristen, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer since 1998, has held positions responsible for strategic planning, provider networks, Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) clients, risk, technology and operations since joining the Company in 1990.

Mr. Wristen began his career in health care in 1976 as a consultant. Prior to joining First Health, he held executive positions in the managed care industry, and for hospitals and hospital systems. Mr. Wristen holds a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering from Kettering University in Flint, Michigan, and a master's in business administration from Ohio State University.

A lifelong entrepreneur, Mr. Smith earned a bachelor's degree from Northeastern University in Boston in 1963 and currently serves as a member of the university's Governing Board. Mr. Smith also currently serves on the board of the Healthcare Leadership Council and the Health Insurance Association of America. Previously, he was chairman of the Strategic Planning and Development Committee for the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans.

Also, Thomas J. Pritzker, the current Chairman, will remain a director and become Chairman of the newly created First Health Board of Director's Executive Committee. Mr. Pritzker has been Chairman since 1990. He is Chairman of the Hyatt Corporation and Hyatt International Corporation, as well as a director of a number of other companies. He was a founding stockholder of First Health in 1984.

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 Web site at www.firsthealth.com.