INDIANAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--WellPoint, Inc. (NYSE: WLP) today announced the completion of its acquisition of 1-800 CONTACTS, Inc. 1-800 CONTACTS is the largest direct-to-consumer retailer of contact lenses in the U.S., providing consumers with a convenient and affordable way to purchase contact lenses through its easy-to-remember, toll-free telephone number, “1-800 CONTACTS” and its www.contacts.com web site; or glasses through its glasses.com web site. The company serves approximately 3.3 million customers.
“We are extremely pleased to finalize our agreement even sooner than anticipated," said Angela F. Braly, chair, president and chief executive officer of WellPoint. "1-800 CONTACTS is an extraordinary company and we look forward to working together to deliver greater value to consumers and convenient access to care. WellPoint and 1-800 CONTACTS have complementary capabilities and assets, and we can now focus on leveraging 1-800 CONTACTS’ industry-leading platform to help grow direct-to-consumer relationships across the country and further supplement and expand our vision business.”
1-800 CONTACTS will remain headquartered in Draper, Utah, and becomes a wholly owned operating division of WellPoint.
About WellPoint, Inc.
At WellPoint, we believe there is an important connection between our members’ health and well-being—and the value we bring our customers and shareholders. So each day we work to improve the health of our members and their communities. And, we can make a real difference since we have nearly 34 million people in our branded health plans, and more than 62 million people served through our subsidiaries. As an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, WellPoint serves members as the Blue Cross licensee for California; the Blue Cross and Blue Shield licensee for Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri (excluding 30 counties in the Kansas City area), Nevada, New Hampshire, New York (as the Blue Cross Blue Shield licensee in 10 New York City metropolitan and surrounding counties and as the Blue Cross or Blue Cross Blue Shield licensee in selected upstate counties only), Ohio, Virginia (excluding the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C.), and Wisconsin. In a majority of these service areas, WellPoint’s plans do business as Anthem Blue Cross, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia and Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield, or Empire Blue Cross (in the New York service areas). WellPoint also serves customers throughout the country as UniCare and in certain California, Arizona and Nevada markets through our CareMore subsidiary. Additional information about WellPoint is available at www.wellpoint.com.