- Center on Health Equity and Access
- Clinical
- Health Care Cost
- Health Care Delivery
- Insurance
- Policy
- Technology
- Value-Based Care
Anthem Acquires Managed Care Company in Florida
Anthem, Inc, increased its managed care footprint in the state of Florida. On Monday, the company has entered into an agreement to acquire Simply Healthcare Holdings, Inc.
Anthem, Inc, increased its managed care footprint in the state of Florida. On Monday, the company has entered into an agreement to acquire Simply Healthcare Holdings, Inc.
Through its 2 subsidiaries, Simply Healthcare Plans, Inc, and Better Health, Inc, the company Anthem is acquiring is a leading managed care company for Medicaid and Medicare enrollees in Florida.
“This acquisition aligns with Anthem’s strategy for continued growth in our government business division,” Joseph Swedish, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Anthem, Inc, said in a statement. “Simply Healthcare’s strong presence and solid provider relationships further strengthens our Medicaid and Medicare companies’ positioning and advances the companies’ capabilities to more effectively and efficiently serve these populations in Florida — a key market for growth.”
Simply Healthcare services more than 170,000 Medicaid and 22,000 Medicare members in Florida. After the acquisition is complete, Anthem will serve more than 500,000 Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries in the state.
Anthem also announced that Simply Healthcare offers just one of only 4 HIV/AIDS special needs health plans in the country. In Florida, alone, there are approximately 106,000 people living with HIV/AIDS, according to the press release.
The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed in Anthem’s announcement of the acquisition, which is expected to close in the first half of 2015. The deal is also subject to state regulatory approvals.
The Sun Sentinel reported that after the acquisition is completed, Simply Healthcare will continue to operate under its current name and brands as an Anthem subsidiary.
“Both organizations share the vision of providing our members with the tools necessary to enable them to achieve optimal health through an outstanding network of providers and high touch, local customer service delivered with the highest level of respect and service,” Lourdes T. Rivas, CEO of Simply Healthcare Plans, said.
Prices for care at hospital trauma centers vary across hospitals; drug shortages reached a record high during the first quarter of 2024; although 3 of the biggest makers of asthma inhalers pledged to cap out-of-pocket costs for some US patients at $35, these do not apply to daily inhalers used by the youngest kids with asthma.
Read More
Navigating Health Policy in an Election Year: Insights From Dr Dennis Scanlon
April 2nd 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with Dennis Scanlon, PhD, the editor in chief of The American Journal of Accountable Care®, about prior authorization, price transparency, the impact of health policy on the upcoming election, and more.
Listen
The Biden administration recently launched the Global Health Security Strategy, a new effort to combat the spread of infectious diseases; lawmakers zeroed in on the risks of massive consolidation in health care during the first congressional hearing on the Change Healthcare hack; the FDA recently announced the recall of a pair of heart devices linked to numerous deaths and injuries.
Read More
Exploring Medicare Advantage Prior Authorization Variations
March 26th 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with the authors of a study published in the March 2024 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® about their findings on variations in prior authorization use across Medicare Advantage plans.
Listen
