CA. Medical Assoc. Technology Affiliate Selects VeriSign to Provide Infrastructure for Issuance/Management of MEDePass

    SAN FRANCISCO, May 8 /PRNewswire/ -- MEDePass Inc., the high technology
 affiliate of the California Medical Association, will tonight unveil its
 MEDePass(SM) electronic digital certificate. Digital certificates are
 electronic credentials that identify parties online, enabling private and
 secure communications and legally binding, valid, digital signatures. MEDePass
 Inc. announced today that it has selected VeriSign (Nasdaq:   VRSN) to provide
 the managed services infrastructure for the issuance and management of the
 MEDePass(SM) certificates, providing the highest level of diligence in the
 healthcare industry. More than 2,000 California physicians have already
 applied for a MEDePass(SM) digital certificate. Pre-registration for other
 states will begin June 15, 2000. California physicians can pre-register for
 MEDePass(SM) now at www.cmanet.org.
     Tonight at San Francisco's Moscone Center, North Hall Room 132, CMA
 President Marie Kuffner, M.D., and CMA Past-President J.C. Pickett M.D., will
 be the first physicians to send and receive fully encrypted, secure e-mails
 using MEDePass(SM) digital certificates. For more information and to attend
 the demonstration, please contact:  Claire Sears at MEDePass Inc. 415-882-3391
 or Todd Bosta at CMA 415-882-5108.
     The Social Security Administration, Kaiser Permanente, and St. Joseph's
 Health System are the first major national organizations to agree to accept
 MEDePass(SM) as proof of physician identity in their online communications and
 transactions. MEDePass(SM) and VeriSign representatives met this past weekend
 with 14 state medical associations representing 170,000 physicians. Three
 state associations have already signed letters of intent to offer MEDePass(SM)
 to physicians in their states.
     "The MEDePass(SM)/VeriSign relationship forges the key link in the chain
 of Internet-based communications between physicians, and between physicians
 and pharmacies, health plans, and medical supply companies," said Jack Lewin,
 M.D., CMA executive vice president and MEDePass(SM), Inc. chairman. "We think
 that physicians, payers, government agencies and, ultimately, patients will be
 best served by a security system grounded in the physician community and
 managed by the leading Internet security company. MEDePass(SM) enables the
 transmission of sensitive medical information in a safe and confidential
 manner between physicians and health plans, e-commerce companies or technology
 vendors."
     MEDePass' fundamental philosophy is that health care professionals must be
 in complete control of their digital identities, rather than letting
 commercial entities have control. MEDePass(SM) will establish state medical
 associations, such as the CMA, as certificate authorities. These associations,
 which will use their central position in the medical community to identify and
 authenticate physicians, will extend the opportunity to receive a digital
 certificate to those whom they know to be bona-fide health care providers. In
 addition, every MEDePass(SM) holder will be able to "refer" other physicians
 for a MEDePass(SM).
     "We are teaming up with MEDePass(SM) to create a new level of online trust
 so patients, physicians and health plans can feel secure enough to take full
 advantage of Internet-based health services," said Stratton Sclavos, VeriSign
 president and CEO. "MEDePass(SM) will enable physicians to be efficient and
 reduce health care costs, and, most importantly, to improve patient
 satisfaction and quality of care."
 
     About MEDePass, Inc.
     San Francisco-based MEDePass, Inc., with support from the California
 Medical Association, was founded in 1999. The company's first product,
 MEDePass(SM), is a digital identification for physicians and other licensed
 health care professionals.
 
     About VeriSign
     VeriSign, Inc. is the leading provider of Internet trust services
 -- including authentication, validation and payment -- needed by Web sites,
 enterprises, electronic commerce service providers and individuals to conduct
 trusted and secure electronic commerce and communications over IP networks.
 VeriSign's trust services for enterprises and electronic commerce service
 providers are available through regional account representatives, resellers,
 and VeriSign affiliates worldwide. The company's digital certificate services
 for Web sites, developers and individuals are available through
 www.verisign.com.
     NOTE:  VeriSign is a registered trademark exclusively licensed to
 VeriSign, Inc. All other trademarks are properties of their respective owners.
 
     About California Medical Association
     The California Medical Association represents more than 34,000 California
 physicians from all regions, modes of practice and medical specialties. CMA is
 dedicated to the health of all Californians.
 
 

SOURCE  California Medical Association