NDCHealth Corp. severs ties with Andersen

Atlanta – NDCHealth Corp. has cut Arthur Andersen LLP as its independent public accountants.
Atlanta-based NDCHealth (NYSE: NDC) is currently conducting a review to select a new independent public accountant to perform its fiscal 2002 audit.
Andersen's reports on the company's consolidated financial statements for each of the fiscal years ended 2001 and 2000 did not contain an adverse opinion or disclaimer of opinion, nor were they qualified or modified as to uncertainty, audit scope or accounting principles, NDCHealth said.
Atlanta-based Delta, ChoicePoint and SunTrust have already dropped Andersen. The American Cancer Society Inc., one of the largest nonprofit organizations based in Atlanta, is also considering dropping Andersen.
In a recent proxy filings, Atlanta-based Mirant Corp. (NYSE: MIR) said it will retain Andersen as its auditor, but has a plan to sever the ties should its board feel it necessary, while Alpharetta-based Certegy Inc. said it is evaluating major accounting firms to serve as its independent accountant in 2002.
Earlier on March 27, Atlanta-based insurance company services provider Crawford & Co. (NYSE: CRDA) said it had issued a request for global audit proposal for 2002 to each of the "Big Five" accounting firms, including Andersen, even though its board already approved Andersen as its auditor for 2002. Andersen has been Crawford's auditor for the past 50 years.