Anthem to Acquire Simply Healthcare Holdings

Anthem, Inc. has announced its agreement to acquire Simply Healthcare Holdings, Inc., which provides services to Floridian policyholders enrolled in Medicaid and Medicare programs through its two subsidiaries, Simply Healthcare Plans, Inc. and Better Health, Inc.

The purchase of Simply Healthcare builds on the health insurer’s business growth strategies. Upon completion of the transaction, which is expected to close in the first half of 2015, Anthem will serve more than 500,000 members in the state of Florida through its affiliated Medicaid and Medicare plans.

“This acquisition aligns with Anthem’s strategy for continued growth in our government business division,” said Anthem president and CEO, Joseph Swedish, 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.”

[More on year-end M&A: Majesco Acquires Agile Technologies.]

Kelly Sheridan is the Staff Editor at Dark Reading, where she focuses on cybersecurity news and analysis. She is a business technology journalist who previously reported for InformationWeek, where she covered Microsoft, and Insurance & Technology, where she covered financial ... View Full Bio