TAMPA, Fla. (Nov. 26, 2013) - WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG), a provider of managed care services for government-sponsored health care programs, announced today that it has been approved by the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (SCDHHS) to offer Medicaid in six additional counties in the state, effective January 1, 2014. These counties are Charleston, Chesterfield, Greenwood, Kershaw, McCormick and Spartanburg. With this approval, WellCare will provide Medicaid services in 45 out of 46 counties in South Carolina. 

 

Additionally, membership from Carolina Medical Homes (CMH) is anticipated to transition to WellCare on January 1, 2014, as a result of changes SCDHHS is making to its Healthy Connections Choices Medicaid managed care program and WellCare's pending purchase of certain assets from CMH.

 

"This six county expansion will allow WellCare to provide Medicaid services to beneficiaries in nearly every county in South Carolina," said Dave Shafer, president, WellCare of South Carolina. "It will also help us to ensure that almost all of the members transitioning from Carolina Medical Homes will be able to continue their care with their current primary care providers. We look forward to continuing to work with the state, providers and communities to deliver, quality, cost-effective health care solutions to our South Carolina Medicaid members." 

 

As of Sept. 30, 2013, WellCare serves approximately 50,000 Medicaid and 11,000 Medicare Prescription Drug Plan members in South Carolina.

 

WellCare Health Plans, Inc. provides managed care services targeted to government-sponsored health care programs, focusing on Medicaid and Medicare. Headquartered in Tampa, Fla., WellCare offers a variety of health plans for families, children, and the aged, blind, and disabled, as well as prescription drug plans. The company serves approximately 2.8 million members nationwide as of Sept. 30, 2013. For more information about WellCare, please visit the company's website at www.wellcare.com.

 

This news release contains "forward-looking" statements that are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements that are predictive in nature, that depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, or that include words such as "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," and similar expressions are forward-looking statements. For example, statements regarding the timing of the closing of the acquisition of assets from CMH and the transfer of its membership to WellCare are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause WellCare's actual future results to differ materially from those projected or contemplated in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the satisfaction of the closing conditions for the acquisition, the receipt of regulatory approval for the acquisition, WellCare's progress on top priorities, such as improving health care quality and access, ensuring a competitive cost position, and delivering prudent, profitable growth, WellCare's ability to effectively manage growth, WellCare's ability to address operational challenges relating to new business, WellCare's ability to effectively execute and integrate acquisitions, and WellCare's ability to estimate and manage medical benefits effectively.

Additional information concerning these and other important risks and uncertainties can be found under the captions "Forward-Looking Statements" and "Risk Factors" in WellCare's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012, and in WellCare's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended September 30, 2013 and other subsequent filings by WellCare with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which contain discussions of WellCare's business and the various factors that may affect it. WellCare undertakes no duty to update these forward-looking statements to reflect any future events, developments, or otherwise.

 

-END-

 

Gregg Haddad

813-206-3916

 

Crystal Warwell Walker

813-206-2697