VeriChip has announced that Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, the largest health
insurer in the state, has agreed to a two-year pilot program of
VeriChip's VeriMed Patient Identification System in conjunction
with Hackensack University Medical Center and its physicians. In this
new test program, participating patients suffering from chronic
diseases would be provided with the VeriChip implantable microchip, to
provide emergency room staff easy access to those patients' medical
information, as well as to help avoid costly or serious medical errors.

Under this trial, participating Horizon BCBSNJ members with chronic
illnesses will receive VeriChip's FDA-approved, human-implantable Radio
Frequency Identification (RFID) microchips inserted just under the skin
of their right tricep. Each patient's unique 16-digit identifier found
within the microchip will then tie into their individual electronic
medical record stored within the VeriMed Patient Registry accessible by
Hackensack University Medical Center's physicians. Each record will
contain vital information related to the patient's condition, family
contacts, lab test data, and pharmacy records helping make the
difference between life and death during an emergency.

"This
two-year collaboration is a milestone for VeriMed and for our
implantable identification technology marking the first time a health
insurer has sponsored such a program," stated Kevin McLaughlin, Chief
Executive Officer, VeriChip Corporation.