January 15, 1999
AMERIPATH ANNOUNCES DISMISSAL OF ALL LAWSUITS
Riviera Beach, Florida, January 15, 1999 - AmeriPath,
Inc. (Nasdaq: PATH) announced today that all seven of
the lawsuits filed against it in federal court in the
Southern District of Florida have been voluntarily dismissed
without payment to any plaintiff. Each plaintiff, who
sought to represent a class of shareholders against AmeriPath
have also filed a public statement to notify the other
shareholders that the action was dismissed and would
not be pursued on their behalf.
On November 23, 1998, AmeriPath announced that it had
received a request for a refund of $2.95 million from
Medicare Program Safeguards. Although AmeriPath also
stated that it was vigorously contesting the Medicare
refund, some 13 law firms did not await the outcome of
that protest before filing their complaints.
On December 10, 1998, the Company announced that Medicare,
after further consideration of the Company's position,
agreed with the Company and was withdrawing its request
for the $2.95 million refund. As a result, AmeriPath,
Inc. insisted that the plaintiffs dismiss their lawsuits
against the Company without any payment from AmeriPath
and publish notice to the class that they sought to represent
that Medicare had withdrawn its refund claim and the
plaintiffs would no longer be pursuing their actions
against AmeriPath either on their own behalf or on behalf
of any other shareholder. As of January 7, 1999, all
seven of the plaintiffs had dismissed their lawsuits
and published notice of those dismissals.
AmeriPath, Inc. is the nation's leading physician practice
management company focused on providing anatomic pathology
services to physicians, hospitals, national clinical
laboratories and managed care organizations. The Company
presently operates in ten states and employs 226 pathologists
who provide medical services through outpatient pathology
laboratories, hospital inpatient laboratories and outpatient
surgery centers.
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This release contains certain forward-looking statements
regarding AmeriPath, including its operations and prospects.
Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future
results. In addition, AmeriPath's actual results could
differ materially from the results anticipated in these
forward-looking statements as a result of uncertainties,
including risks relating to demand, pricing, government
regulation, payments and reimbursement, changes on reimbursement
coding guidelines, dependence upon contracts and pathologists,
acquisitions, integration of acquired practices, the
market for pathology services, competition, and other
factors identified in AmeriPath's filings with the Securities
and Exchange Commission.
