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Laboratory Corporation of America-Registered Trademark- Holdings
358 South Main Street
Burlington, NC   27215
Telephone:  336-584-5171


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE              CONTACT:    Pamela Sherry
                                               336-584-5171, Ext. 4855
                        SHAREHOLDER DIRECT:    800-LAB-0401
                                               www.labcorp.com
                                
                                
LABCORP-REGISTERED TRADEMARK- COMPLETES ACQUISITION OF UNIVERSAL
    STANDARD HEALTHCARE'S MICHIGAN-BASED LABORATORY DIVISION
                                
                                

     BURLINGTON, NC, AUGUST 5, 1998 - Laboratory Corporation of
America-Registered Trademark- Holdings (LabCorp-Registered
Trademark-) (NYSE: LH) and Universal Standard Healthcare, Inc.
(UHCI) (NASDAQ: UHCI) today announced that LabCorp has completed
its previously announced acquisition of  UHCI's Michigan-based
clinical laboratory division. The acquisition makes LabCorp one
of the largest clinical laboratories operating in Michigan.
UHCI's laboratory had 1997 revenues of approximately $37 million.
LabCorp also acquired an equity position in UHCI and has become
UHCI's clinical laboratory testing provider under a long-term
agreement.

     Universal Standard Healthcare, Inc. is a premier managed-
care health services provider operating in all 50 states,
currently providing clinical laboratory, out-patient diagnostic
imaging, and home medical services (including durable medical
equipment and supplies) coverage to employers on a capitated
basis.  "Covered persons" under these managed-care contracts
exceed 1.6 million.  The LabCorp-UHCI provider agreement gives
LabCorp an opportunity to expand testing services nationally and
provides valuable market information to better understand the
mechanisms utilized for processing and paying managed-care
claims.

     Laboratory Corporation of America-Registered Trademark-
Holdings (LabCorp-Registered Trademark-) is a national clinical
laboratory organization with annual revenues of $1.5 billion in
1997.  The Company operates primary testing facilities
nationally, offering more than 1,700 different clinical assays,
from routine blood analyses to more sophisticated technologies.
LabCorp performs diagnostic tests for physicians, managed-care
organizations, hospitals, clinics, long-term care facilities,
industrial companies and other clinical laboratories.
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