Published:
WellPoint To Acquire Resolution Health
INDIANAPOLIS, andCOLUMBIA, Md., April 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --
WellPoint, Inc. (NYSE: WLP), the nation's leading health benefits provider,
today announced that it has acquired Resolution Health, Inc., a leading data
analytics-driven personal health care guidance company.
The acquisition will allow each company to expand its efforts to improve
health care quality and reduce health care costs for its customers.
Resolution Health will continue to enhance and expand the services it provides
to WellPoint as well as to its growing number of other customers nationwide.
Demand for personalized, actionable health care guidance continues to grow
as consumers become more involved in managing their own care. As an industry
leader in proactive health care management, WellPoint has found that
evidence-based health interventions can help improve treatment by identifying
potential drug interactions, gaps in care, and other issues.
"Resolution Health has been a valued partner in analyzing WellPoint
members' health data and providing suggestions to improve care and outcomes
for more than two years," said Dijuana Lewis, president and CEO of WellPoint's
Comprehensive Health Solutions Unit. "This acquisition will allow us to fully
integrate Resolution Health's suite of products to extend the range and
quality of services for our members, as well as members across the health plan
system."
Earl Steinberg, MD, MPP, president and CEO of Resolution Health said,
"Resolution Health is built on the belief that the quality and cost
effectiveness of health care can be dramatically improved through clinically
sound, individual member-focused communications programs. Becoming a part of
WellPoint -- a company that shares these values -- furthers our goal of
helping every individual receive the best, most cost-effective health care
possible."
Using its market-leading technology, Resolution Health analyzes the
medical and pharmacy claims data, lab results, health benefit plan information
and personal health information of individual plan members. WellPoint will
work with Resolution Health to identify opportunities to help close gaps
between recommended care -- based upon nationally accepted, evidence-based
clinical guidelines -- and the care that members actually receive, and reduce
medical costs for individuals, their employers and their health plans.
Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. The transaction will not have
an impact on WellPoint's current earnings per share guidance for 2008.
WellPoint:
WellPoint, Inc. is the largest health benefits company in terms of medical
membership inthe United States. WellPoint is an independent licensee of the
Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association and serves its members as the Blue
Cross licensee forCalifornia; the Blue Cross and Blue Shield licensee for
Colorado,Connecticut,Georgia,Indiana,Kentucky,Maine,Missouri (excluding
30 counties in theKansas City area),Nevada,New Hampshire,New York (as
Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield in 10 New York City metropolitan and surrounding
counties and as Empire Blue Cross or Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield in selected
upstate counties only),Ohio,Virginia (excluding the city ofFairfax, the
town ofVienna and the area east of State Route 123.),Wisconsin; and through
UniCare. Additional information about WellPoint is available at
www.wellpoint.com .
About Resolution Health, Inc.
Resolution Health, Inc. is a data analytics-driven personal health care
guidance company. Its services have been proven to improve the quality,
coordination and safety of health care, enhance communications between
patients and their physicians and reduce medical costs. Resolution Health
serves health plans, self-insured employers, unions, third-party
administrators, disease management firms and pharmacy benefits managers. Visit
http://www.resolutionhealth.com
SAFE HARBOR STATEMENT UNDER THE PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT
OF 1995
This document contains certain forward-looking information about WellPoint
that is intended to be covered by the safe harbor for "forward-looking
statements" provided by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
Forward- looking statements are statements that are not generally historical
facts. Words such as "expect(s)", "feel(s)", "believe(s)", "will", "may",
"anticipate(s)", "intend", "estimate", "project" and similar expressions are
intended to identify forward-looking statements, which generally are not
historical in nature. These statements include, but are not limited to,
financial projections and estimates and their underlying assumptions;
statements regarding plans, objectives and expectations with respect to future
operations, products and services; and statements regarding future
performance. Such statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties,
many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond our control, that
could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in, or
implied or projected by, the forward-looking information and statements. These
risks and uncertainties include: those discussed and identified in our public
filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC; increased
government regulation of health benefits, managed care and PBM operations;
trends in health care costs and utilization rates; our ability to secure
sufficient premium rate increases; our ability to contract with providers
consistent with past practice; competitor pricing below market trends of
increasing costs; reduced enrollment, as well as a negative change in our
health care product mix; risks and uncertainties regarding the Medicare Part C
and Medicare Part D Prescription Drug benefits programs, including potential
uncollectability of receivables resulting from processing and/or verifying
enrollment (including facilitated enrollment), inadequacy of underwriting
assumptions, inability to receive and process correct information,
uncollectability of premium from members, increased medical or pharmaceutical
costs, and the underlying seasonality of the business; a downgrade in our
financial strength ratings; litigation and investigations targeted at health
benefits companies and our ability to resolve litigation and investigations
within estimates; our ability to meet expectations regarding repurchases of
shares of our common stock; funding risks with respect to revenue received
from participation in Medicare and Medicaid programs; non-compliance with the
complex regulations imposed on Medicare and Medicaid programs; events that
result in negative publicity for the health benefits industry; failure to
effectively maintain and modernize our information systems and e-business
organization and to maintain good relationships with third party vendors for
information system resources; events that may negatively affect our license
with the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association; possible impairment of the
value of our intangible assets if future results do not adequately support
goodwill and other intangible assets; intense competition to attract and
retain employees; unauthorized disclosure of member sensitive or confidential
information; changes in the economic and market conditions, as well as
regulations, applicable to our investment portfolios; possible restrictions in
the payment of dividends by our subsidiaries and increases in required minimum
levels of capital and the potential negative affect from our substantial
amount of outstanding indebtedness; general risks associated with mergers and
acquisitions; various laws and our governing documents may prevent or
discourage takeovers and business combinations; future bio-terrorist activity
or other potential public health epidemics; and general economic downturns.
Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking
statements that speak only as of the date hereof. Except to the extent
otherwise required by federal securities law, we do not undertake any
obligation to republish revised forward-looking statements to reflect events
or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of
unanticipated events. Readers are also urged to carefully review and consider
the various disclosures in our SEC reports.
SOURCE WellPoint, Inc.
Copyright © 2009, PRNewswire
Copyright © 2009, NewsBlaze,
Daily News
Tags: ,HEA,INS,TNM,IN-WellPoint-merge