Reuters: Regulatory News: RPT-UPDATE 1-Amerigroup to sell Virginia business after DOJ query

Reuters: Regulatory News Reuters.com is your source for breaking news, business, financial and investing news, including personal finance and stocks. Reuters is the leading global provider of news, financial information and technology solutions to the world's media, financial institutions, businesses and individuals. // via fulltextrssfeed.com

RPT-UPDATE 1-Amerigroup to sell Virginia business after DOJ query Sep 28th 2012, 17:05 Fri Sep 28, 2012 1:05pm EDT * Amerigroup has 55,000 members in Virginia * Says WellPoint deal expected to close in fourth quarter Sept 28 (Reuters) - Health insurer Amerigroup Corp, which is being acquired by WellPoint Inc, said it would sell its managed care operations in Virginia following antitrust queries from the U.S. Department of Justice. Amerigroup agreed to sell its Virginia business to Inova, a not-for-profit health care system, the company said. WellPoint also has extensive operations in Virginia, raising potential antitrust issues as a result of the merger. WellPoint in July announced plans to buy Amerigroup for $4.46 billion, placing a major bet on the expansion of the U.S. government's Medicaid health plans for the poor. Amerigroup also said on Friday that it still expected the deal with WellPoint to close in the fourth quarter, reiterating a timeline it laid out in August. The antitrust waiting period for closing of the deal was extended last month after the U.S. Department of Justice sought additional information from both companies. Amerigroup said that the second request for information made to Amerigroup and WellPoint by the Justice Department focused on Virginia. Amerigroup said the sale of its Virginia business, which covers 55,000 members and operates in 58 cities and counties, would not require any change to the WellPoint deal. The sale to Inova is contingent on the WellPoint purchase of Amerigroup closing and is also expected in the fourth quarter. North Virginia-based Inova is a not-for-profit healthcare provider with hospitals located in Washington, D.C. and its surrounding areas. Amerigroup, based in Virginia Beach, Virginia, runs Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program and Medicaid expansion programs in Virginia. WellPoint operates as Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield in Virginia and runs Medicaid programs there. Shares of Amerigroup were up 0.2 percent at $91.40, while WellPoint was down 0.3 percent at $57.90 on Friday on the New York Stock Exchange. Link this Share this Digg this Email Reprints

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions