INDIANAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Anthem, Inc. (NYSE:ANTM) today announced the completion of its acquisition of Beacon Health Options (Beacon), the largest independently held behavioral health organization in the country serving more than 36 million people across all 50 states.
The acquisition offers Anthem the opportunity to combine its current behavioral health capabilities with Beacon’s successful model and support services in order to enhance whole person care.
Bringing Beacon into Anthem will help build a stronger portfolio of specialized products, additional clinical expertise and improved analytics and health data to drive improved health outcomes. Additionally, consumers will benefit from broader provider networks and access to timely, personalized behavioral health services in settings suited to their unique needs.
“We are pleased to complete the acquisition of Beacon Health Options and are excited to expand our critical behavioral health services to more people across the country as part of our focus on true whole person care,” said Gail K. Boudreaux, President and CEO, Anthem. “Consumers and health plan customers alike will benefit from our ability to scale and integrate physical and behavioral capabilities in new and meaningful ways to improve lives.”
Both organizations also share their commitment to improve lives and communities across the country and provide individuals and families with greater access to health services and resources. Through the support of Anthem’s philanthropic arm, the Anthem Foundation, more than $2.9 million is at work with leading non-profit partners to help expand access to behavioral health programs and services. Today, the Foundation will bring that to $3 million as it announces a $100,000 grant to Mental Health America (MHA), the nation’s leading community-based nonprofit dedicated to addressing the needs of those living with mental illness and to promote overall mental health of all Americans. The grant will be used to support MHA’s Screening to Supports (S2S) program, an online platform offering free, anonymous mental health screens to nearly 1 million people per year, with analysis of results and customized recommendations for next steps including information and resources, referrals to services, self-guided help, and connection to others like them.
Beacon Health Options will operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Anthem and its associates will join Anthem’s Diversified Business Group.
About Anthem, Inc.
Anthem is a leading health benefits company dedicated to improving lives and communities, and making healthcare simpler. Through its affiliated companies, Anthem serves more than 79 million people, including 41 million within its family of health plans. We aim to be the most innovative, valuable and inclusive partner. For more information, please visit www.antheminc.com or follow @AnthemInc on Twitter.
Forward-Looking Statements
This document contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements reflect our views about future events and financial performance and are generally not historical facts. Words such as “expect,” “feel,” “believe,” “will,” “may,” “should,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “estimate,” “project,” “forecast,” “plan” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. 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 statements. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements that speak only as of the date hereof. You are also urged to carefully review and consider the various risks and other disclosures discussed in our reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time, which attempt to advise interested parties of the factors that affect our business. Except to the extent otherwise required by federal securities laws, we do not undertake any obligation to republish revised forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: trends in healthcare costs and utilization rates; our ability to secure sufficient premium rates, including regulatory approval for and implementation of such rates; the impact of federal and state regulation, including ongoing changes in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, as amended, or collectively, the ACA, and the ultimate outcome of legal challenges to the ACA; our ability to contract with providers on cost-effective and competitive terms; competitive pressures and our ability to adapt to changes in the industry and develop and implement strategic growth opportunities; reduced enrollment; unauthorized disclosure of member or employee sensitive or confidential information, including the impact and outcome of any investigations, inquiries, claims and litigation related thereto; risks and uncertainties regarding Medicare and Medicaid programs, including those related to non-compliance with the complex regulations imposed thereon; our ability to maintain and achieve improvement in Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, Star ratings and other quality scores and funding risks with respect to revenue received from participation therein; a negative change in our healthcare product mix; costs and other liabilities associated with litigation, government investigations, audits or reviews; the ultimate outcome of litigation between Cigna Corporation, or Cigna, and us related to the merger agreement between the parties and the potential for such litigation to cause us to incur substantial additional costs, including potential settlement and judgment costs; risks and uncertainties related to our pharmacy benefit management, or PBM, business, including non-compliance by any party with the PBM services agreements between us and each of Express Scripts, Inc., or Express Scripts, and CaremarkPCS Health, L.L.C., or CVS Health, as well as agreements governing the transition of pharmacy benefit management services provided to us from Express Scripts to CVS Health Corporation; medical malpractice or professional liability claims or other risks related to healthcare services and PBM provided by our subsidiaries; general risks associated with mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures and strategic alliances; possible impairment of the value of our intangible assets if future results do not adequately support goodwill and other intangible assets; possible restrictions in the payment of dividends from our subsidiaries and increases in required minimum levels of capital; our ability to repurchase shares of our common stock and pay dividends on our common stock due to the adequacy of our cash flow and earnings and other considerations; the potential negative effect from our substantial amount of outstanding indebtedness; a downgrade in our financial strength ratings; the effects of any negative publicity related to the health benefits industry in general or us in particular; failure to effectively maintain and modernize our information systems; events that may negatively affect our licenses with the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association; large scale medical emergencies, such as future public health epidemics and catastrophes; changes in economic and market conditions, as well as regulations that may negatively affect our liquidity and investment portfolios; changes in U.S. tax laws; intense competition to attract and retain employees; and, various laws and provisions in our governing documents that may prevent or discourage takeovers and business combinations.