Centene to Acquire National Individual Health Insurance Provider Celtic Insurance Company
Strategic acquisition positions Centene as a national leader in providing government-sponsored and market-driven solutions to increase access to highquality, affordable healthcare for all Americans
ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI (March 18, 2008) ? Centene Corporation (NYSE: CNC) announced today it has executed definitive agreements to acquire Celtic Group, Inc., the parent company of Celtic Insurance Company (?Celtic?). Pending regulatory approval, the acquisition is expected to close in the third quarter of 2008. Celtic, a privately-owned nationwide health insurance carrier based in Chicago, Illinois, provides high-quality, affordable health insurance to individual customers and their families. The purchase price for the transaction is $80 million, subject to certain transaction adjustments, and will be funded through borrowings under Centene's existing $300 million credit facility.
?With this transaction, Centene will be uniquely positioned to partner with state customers focused on managing health care costs. This acquisition also enables us to offer a full range of healthcare solutions for the rising number of uninsured. When combined with the strong presence in our current states, we can address a full spectrum of uninsured opportunities? said Michael F. Neidorff, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Centene Corporation. ?We believe that by creating a national focus to cover more of the uninsured, this will lead to significant growth opportunities in both the Medicaid managed care and individual health insurance sectors for Centene. This transaction is consistent with our product diversification strategy to add complementary capabilities that allow us to meet the evolving needs of our state customers and to offer a broad range of coverage solutions customized to the unique needs of each state.?
Neidorff continued, ?We believe the states will benefit from a solution that combines our expertise in delivering low-cost, quality healthcare with market-driven, affordable and individual health insurance to Americans nationwide. Joining forces with Celtic underscores our goal of ensuring that all Americans have access to cost-effective, highquality,healthcare.?
Frederick J. Manning, Celtic's chairman and chief executive officer, said, ?Celtic has been a trusted name in the individual health insurance market for almost 30 years and we feel fortunate to partner with an organization that shares our commitment to increasing access to quality healthcare for all. Together, our employees can be proud of the fact they will help address one of the nation's most intractable challenges: providing health coverage to the underserved.?
Celtic will continue to operate under its current brand and the operations will remain at its Chicago headquarters. Mr. Manning will remain with the organization as President and CEO of Celtic and Executive Vice President of Centene and will report directly to Mr. Neidorff.
The transaction is expected to be neutral to earnings per share in 2008. Additional details regarding the transaction will be disclosed on Wednesday, March 19th, 2008, at 2:00 PM (Eastern Time), when Mr. Neidorff will present at the Lehman Brothers 11th Annual Global Healthcare Conference, which will be held March 18-20, 2008, at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel in Miami.
Celtic was advised by Goldman, Sachs & Co. Centene Corporation was advised by Allen & Company LLC.
About Centene Corporation Centene Corporation is a leading multi-line healthcare enterprise that provides programs and related services to individuals receiving benefits under Medicaid, including the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). The Company operates health plans in Arizona, Georgia, Indiana, New Jersey, Ohio, South Carolina, Texas and Wisconsin. In addition, the Company contracts with other healthcare and commercial organizations to provide specialty services including behavioral health, life and health management, long-term care, managed vision, nurse triage,
About Celtic Insurance Chicago-based Celtic Insurance Company is one of the country's leading nationwide individual health insurance providers. With approximately 120 employees, Celtic Insurance currently offers coverage to approximately 31,000 individuals nationwide and is licensed in every state except New York. Some of the products in the Celtic product portfolio are: The CeltiCare II Health Plan for individuals and families, the CelticSaver HSA Health Plan, the Celtic Short-term Health Plan and the Celtic Basic Health Plan, a low-cost major medical plan offering higher deductibles to control premium cost
If you live in North Carolina and are in need of health insurance, it is important that you take your search for coverage seriously. Searching for individual health insurance is not as simple as signing up for the health insurance offered by an employer?much more thought on your part goes into the process. Follow these tips to help you find, and keep, affordable individual health insurance that offers the coverage you need.
1. Plan. Before you start looking for an individual health insurance provider, figure out the coverage you need and how much you can afford to spend. If you plan first, you will find it easier to look for and compare insurers that offer what you need at the price you can pay.
2. Shop around. The search will probably be long and tiring, but it is important to compare the rates and coverage of several different health insurance options before committing to one. Individual health insurance usually costs more, so you want to make sure you are getting the coverage you need for the price you pay.
3. Narrow your search. Check whether or not your state requires individual health insurance providers to approve all applicants. Since individual insurance plans are medically underwritten, the insurance providers are not required to accept everyone unless otherwise declared by the state. You may want to search only for providers that will guarantee coverage. Contact your state insurance department for details.
4. Do some research. Once you have decided on a few possible providers to choose from, find out if they use a network of medical professionals and whether or not they allow out-of-network coverage. If they do not, find out whether or not the network they use includes reliable and reputable medical professionals that you will feel safe and comfortable visiting.
5. Keep up with your coverage. Once you find an individual health insurance provider that you are comfortable with, make sure to stick with it. If you go without insurance for more than 63 days, you will lose any coverage you have for any pre-existing conditions you may have.
Both Tawana Wall & Jessica Farrell are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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