Standard & Poor's Announces Change to U.S. Index

Standard & Poor's Announces Change to U.S. Index 


NEW YORK, Jan. 24  /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Gen-Probe Inc. (NASDAQ:GPRO) will
replace First Health Group Corp. (NASDAQ:FHCC) in the S&P MidCap 400 after the
close of trading on Friday, January 28.  First Health Group is being acquired
by S&P MidCap 400 constituent Coventry Health Care Inc. (NYSE:CVH) in a deal
expected to close on or about that date, pending final approval.

Standard & Poor's will monitor this transaction, and post any relevant updates
on its website: http://www.standardandpoors.com/.

Gen-Probe Inc. supplies nucleic acid tests used for diagnosing human diseases
and screening donated human blood.  Headquartered in San Diego, CA, the company
will be added to the S&P MidCap 400 GICS (Global Industry Classification
Standard) Biotechnology Sub-Industry Index.

  Following is a summary of the change:

                 S&P MIDCAP 400 INDEX - January 28, 2005
              COMPANY             GICS ECONOMIC SECTOR  GICS SUB-INDUSTRY
  ADDED       Gen-Probe Inc.       Health Care          Biotechnology
  DELETED     First Health Group   Health Care          Managed Health Care



Additions to and deletions from an S&P equity index do not in any way reflect
an opinion on the investment merits of the companies concerned.

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DATASOURCE: Standard & Poor's



CONTACT:  David M. Blitzer, Ph.D.

Managing Director & Chairman of the Index Committee

[phone] 



Web site:  http://www.standardandpoors.com/

http://www.mcgraw-hill.com/ 

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