content: <PAGE>
   
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                         SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                               WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
   
                                  ----------------
   
                                      FORM 8-K
   
                 CURRENT REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF
                        THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
   
                                  FEBRUARY 6, 1997
                  DATE OF REPORT (DATE OF EARLIEST EVENT REPORTED)
   
                                  ----------------
   
                                ACCESS HEALTH, INC.
               (EXACT NAME OF REGISTRANT AS SPECIFIED IN ITS CHARTER)
   
                                  ----------------
   
           DELAWARE                   0-19758                  68-0163589
       (STATE OR OTHER        (COMMISSION FILE NUMBER)      (I.R.S. EMPLOYER
         JURISDICTION                                      IDENTIFICATION NO.)
      OF INCORPORATION)  
                       
                               11020 WHITE ROCK ROAD
                          RANCHO CORDOVA, CALIFORNIA 95670
                      (ADDRESS OF PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICES)
   
                                  ----------------
   
                                   (916) 851-4000
                (REGISTRANT'S TELEPHONE NUMBER, INCLUDING AREA CODE)
   
                             TOTAL NUMBER OF PAGES: 27.
   
                  EXHIBIT INDEX ON SEQUENTIALLY NUMBERED PAGE: 4.
   
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  <PAGE>
   
  ITEM 5: OTHER EVENTS
   
    This Report of Access Health Inc. ("Registrant" or "Access Health") on Form
  8-K dated February 6, 1997 (the "Report"), relates to the Registrant's
  completion of the acquisition of Informed Access Systems, Inc., a corporation
  organized and existing under the laws of the State of Delaware ("Informed
  Access"), by means of a merger (the "Informed Access Merger") of Access
  Acquisition Corp., a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the
  State of Delaware and a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Registrant ("Informed
  Access Merger Sub"), with and into Informed Access, pursuant to the Agreement
  and Plan of Reorganization, dated as of September 3, 1996 (the "Informed
  Access Merger Agreement"), among the Registrant, Merger Sub and Informed
  Access and to the Registrant's completion of the acquisition of Clinical
  Reference Systems, Ltd., a corporation organized and existing under the laws
  of the State of Colorado ("CRS"), by means of a merger (the "CRS Merger") of
  Access Health Colorado, Inc., a corporation organized and existing under the
  laws of the State of Colorado and a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Registrant
  ("CRS Merger Sub"), with and into CRS, pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of
  Reorganization, dated as of September 5, 1996 (the "CRS Reorganization
  Agreement"), among the Registrant, CRS Merger Sub and CRS. The purpose of this
  Report is to provide the supplemental consolidated financial statements of
  Access Health relating to the business combinations between the Registrant and
  Informed Access on November 18, 1996 and Registrant and CRS on November 25,
  1996.
   
    See Exhibit 20.1 for Access Health's supplemental consolidated financial
  statements.
   
                                         1
  <PAGE>
   
                                     SIGNATURE
   
    Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
  amended, the Registrant has duly caused this Report to be signed on its behalf
  by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
   
                                            ACCESS HEALTH, INC.
   
  Dated: February 6, 1997                   By:/s/ JULIE A. BROOKS
                                                .................................
                                                Name:Julie A. Brooks
                                                Title: Senior Vice President and
                                                       General Counsel
   
                                         2
  <PAGE>
   
                                   EXHIBIT INDEX
   
  <TABLE>
  <CAPTION>
                                                                            PAGE
   EXHIBIT                          DESCRIPTION                            NUMBER
   ------- -------------------------------------------------------------   ------
   <C>     <S>                                                             <C>
     2.1   Access Health, Inc. Agreement and Plan of Reorganization
           dated as of September 3, 1996, entered into by and among
           Access Health, Inc., a Delaware corporation, Informed Access
           Systems, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and Access Acquisition
           Corp., a Delaware corporation (incorporated by reference to
           Annex A to the Prospectus contained in Access Health's
           Registration Statement on Form S-4 (File No. 333-13930))
    20.1   Access Health, Inc. audited supplemental consolidated
           financial statements as of September 30, 1995 and 1996.......      5
    23.1   Consent of Ernst & Young LLP, Independent Auditors...........     25
    23.2   Consent of Arthur Andersen LLP, Independent Public
           Accountants..................................................     26
    23.3   Consent of Ehrhardt Keefe Steiner & Hottman PC, Independent
           Auditors.....................................................     27
  </TABLE>
metadata_documents: [{"type": "8-K", "sequence": "1", "description": "FORM 8-K", "secsgml_size_bytes": 5599}]
metadata_filer: {"company-data": {"conformed-name": "ACCESS HEALTH INC", "cik": "0000882304", "assigned-sic": "8090", "irs-number": "680163589", "state-of-incorporation": "DE", "fiscal-year-end": "0930"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "8-K", "act": "34", "file-number": "000-19758", "film-number": "97519910"}, "business-address": {"street1": "11020 WHITE ROCK ROAD", "city": "RANCHO CORDOVA", "state": "CA", "zip": "95670", "phone": "9168514000"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "11020 WHITE ROCK RD", "city": "RANCHO CORDOVA", "state": "CA", "zip": "95670"}, "former-company": {"former-conformed-name": "ACCESS HEALTH MARKETING INC", "date-changed": "19930328"}}
text: --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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                         SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                               WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
   
                                  ----------------
   
                                      FORM 8-K
   
                 CURRENT REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF
                        THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
   
                                  FEBRUARY 6, 1997
                  DATE OF REPORT (DATE OF EARLIEST EVENT REPORTED)
   
                                  ----------------
   
                                ACCESS HEALTH, INC.
               (EXACT NAME OF REGISTRANT AS SPECIFIED IN ITS CHARTER)
   
                                  ----------------
   
           DELAWARE                   0-19758                  68-0163589
       (STATE OR OTHER        (COMMISSION FILE NUMBER)      (I.R.S. EMPLOYER
         JURISDICTION                                      IDENTIFICATION NO.)
      OF INCORPORATION)  
                       
                               11020 WHITE ROCK ROAD
                          RANCHO CORDOVA, CALIFORNIA 95670
                      (ADDRESS OF PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICES)
   
                                  ----------------
   
                                   (916) 851-4000
                (REGISTRANT'S TELEPHONE NUMBER, INCLUDING AREA CODE)
   
                             TOTAL NUMBER OF PAGES: 27.
   
                  EXHIBIT INDEX ON SEQUENTIALLY NUMBERED PAGE: 4.
   
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  ITEM 5: OTHER EVENTS
   
    This Report of Access Health Inc. ("Registrant" or "Access Health") on Form
  8-K dated February 6, 1997 (the "Report"), relates to the Registrant's
  completion of the acquisition of Informed Access Systems, Inc., a corporation
  organized and existing under the laws of the State of Delaware ("Informed
  Access"), by means of a merger (the "Informed Access Merger") of Access
  Acquisition Corp., a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the
  State of Delaware and a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Registrant ("Informed
  Access Merger Sub"), with and into Informed Access, pursuant to the Agreement
  and Plan of Reorganization, dated as of September 3, 1996 (the "Informed
  Access Merger Agreement"), among the Registrant, Merger Sub and Informed
  Access and to the Registrant's completion of the acquisition of Clinical
  Reference Systems, Ltd., a corporation organized and existing under the laws
  of the State of Colorado ("CRS"), by means of a merger (the "CRS Merger") of
  Access Health Colorado, Inc., a corporation organized and existing under the
  laws of the State of Colorado and a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Registrant
  ("CRS Merger Sub"), with and into CRS, pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of
  Reorganization, dated as of September 5, 1996 (the "CRS Reorganization
  Agreement"), among the Registrant, CRS Merger Sub and CRS. The purpose of this
  Report is to provide the supplemental consolidated financial statements of
  Access Health relating to the business combinations between the Registrant and
  Informed Access on November 18, 1996 and Registrant and CRS on November 25,
  1996.
   
    See Exhibit 20.1 for Access Health's supplemental consolidated financial
  statements.
   
                                         1
  SIGNATURE
   
    Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
  amended, the Registrant has duly caused this Report to be signed on its behalf
  by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
   
                                            ACCESS HEALTH, INC.
   
  Dated: February 6, 1997                   By:/s/ JULIE A. BROOKS
                                                .................................
                                                Name:Julie A. Brooks
                                                Title: Senior Vice President and
                                                       General Counsel
   
                                         2
  EXHIBIT INDEX
  PAGE
   EXHIBIT                          DESCRIPTION                            NUMBER
   ------- -------------------------------------------------------------   ------
  2.1   Access Health, Inc. Agreement and Plan of Reorganization
           dated as of September 3, 1996, entered into by and among
           Access Health, Inc., a Delaware corporation, Informed Access
           Systems, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and Access Acquisition
           Corp., a Delaware corporation (incorporated by reference to
           Annex A to the Prospectus contained in Access Health's
           Registration Statement on Form S-4 (File No. 333-13930))
    20.1   Access Health, Inc. audited supplemental consolidated
           financial statements as of September 30, 1995 and 1996.......      5
    23.1   Consent of Ernst & Young LLP, Independent Auditors...........     25
    23.2   Consent of Arthur Andersen LLP, Independent Public
           Accountants..................................................     26
    23.3   Consent of Ehrhardt Keefe Steiner & Hottman PC, Independent
           Auditors.....................................................     27