MARKET SCAMS

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Milberg Weiss Announces The Filing Of A Class Action Suit Against Universal Health Services, Inc. and Certain Senior Executives on Behalf of Investors

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 22, 2004--The law firm of Milberg Weiss Bershad Hynes & Lerach LLP announces that a class action lawsuit was filed on March 22, 2004, on behalf of purchasers of the securities of Universal Health Services, Inc. ("Universal Health" or the "Company") (NYSE:UHS) between July 21, 2003 and February 27, 2004, inclusive (the "Class Period"), seeking to pursue remedies under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act"). A copy of the complaint filed in this action is available from the Court, or can be viewed on Milberg Weiss' Web site at: http://www.milberg.com/universalhealth/


The action, numbered 04 cv 1233 is pending in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania against defendants Universal Health and certain of its senior executive officers. According to the complaint, defendants violated sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder, by issuing a series of material misrepresentations to the market during the Class Period.

The complaint alleges that defendants materially misled the investing public, thereby inflating the price of UHS stock, by publicly issuing false and misleading statements and omitting to disclose material facts necessary to make defendants' statements as set forth herein, not false and misleading. These statements and omissions were materially false and misleading in that they failed to disclose material adverse information and misrepresented the truth about the Company, its financial performance, earnings momentum, and future business prospects, including: (a) UHS was unable to compete effectively in key markets; (b) UHS hospitals were losing better-paying patients to their competitors and the proportion of uninsured patients, who constitute a greater credit risk, was increasing; (c) due to poor case management, certain UHS hospitals were unable to effectively manage their caseloads and, as a consequence, had experienced an increase in the number of patients who remained hospitalized at UHS facilities beyond the period reimbursable by Medicaid and Medicare and that, therefore, the hospitals were not receiving full payments for the services provided; (d) defendants failed to properly write-off uncollectible receivables, and materially overstated UHS's financial results by maintaining known uncollectible accounts as assets during the Class Period; (e) the Company's allowance for doubtful accounts was insufficient and, as a result, the Company's reported operating income was artificially inflated; and (f) the Company's reported operating income was not a true measure of the Company's operating performance because defendants failed to properly deduct from operating income the appropriate allowance for doubtful accounts.

On March 1, 2004, before the markets opened, defendants shocked investors by withdrawing their guidance for 2004 and announcing that earnings per diluted share for the three-month period ending March 31, 2004 could be as much as 25% lower than the $0.84 per diluted share recorded in the same period in the prior year. Defendants attributed the decline in substantial part to UHS's inability to compete effectively in two key markets in Nevada and Texas, erosion of UHS's market share, poor case management resulting in an increase in the length of patient stays beyond the period reimbursable by Medicaid or Medicare, and a pronounced increase in bad debt from uninsured patients. The Company which had already increased its provision for doubtful accounts in the fourth quarter of 2003 to $74.3 million, or 7.8% of revenues, as compared to $58 million, or 6.9% of revenues, during the prior year's fourth quarter, said that bad debt in 2004 was likely to exceed the Company's previously reported expectation of 9.5% of revenues. On this news, the price of UHS shares fell $9.05, or 17%, to $44.88.

If you bought the securities of Universal Health Services, Inc. between July 21, 2003 and February 27, 2004 and sustained damages, you may, no later than May 21, 2004, request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. A lead plaintiff is a representative party that acts on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. In order to be appointed lead plaintiff, the Court must determine that the class member's claim is typical of the claims of other class members, and that the class member will adequately represent the class. Under certain circumstances, one or more class members may together serve as "lead plaintiff." Your ability to share in any recovery is not, however, affected by the decision whether or not to serve as a lead plaintiff. You may retain Milberg Weiss Bershad Hynes & Lerach LLP, or other counsel of your choice, to serve as your counsel in this action.

Milberg Weiss Bershad Hynes & Lerach LLP (http://www.milberg.com) is a 190-lawyer firm with offices in New York City, San Diego, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boca Raton, Philadelphia and Seattle, and is active in major litigations pending in federal and state courts throughout the United States. Milberg Weiss has taken a leading role in many important actions on behalf of defrauded investors, consumers, and others, and has been responsible for more than $20 billion in aggregate recoveries. Please contact the Milberg Weiss Web site for more information about the firm. If you wish to discuss this action with us, or have any questions concerning this notice or your rights and interests with regard to the case, please contact the following attorneys:

Steven G. Schulman
Peter E. Seidman
Andrei V. Rado
One Pennsylvania Plaza, 49th fl.
New York, NY, 10119-0165
Phone number: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]
Web site: http://www.milberg.com