Business
Fla. Blues buys HMO
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Sept. 22, 2008
Florida's oldest federally qualified HMO is now in the hands of BlueCross BlueShield of Florida.
The owners of Florida Health Care Plans Inc. voted in September to approve the sale of the HMO to the Florida Blues. Daytona Beach, Fla.-based Halifax Community Health System, which acquired Florida Health Care Plans in 1994, approved a sale package worth $85 million. The system said it sold the plan to expand access for its 58,000 members in Flagler and Volusia counties.
Florida Health Care Plans was founded as a nonprofit in 1971 and became a federally qualified HMO in 1976.
The sale still requires approval from Florida regulators. Halifax says it expects that approval by year's end.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2008/09/22/bibf0922.htm.












