Tag: BlackBook

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-Alpine Investors’ TEAM Services Group Completes Investment in AmeriBest, a Leading Home Care Agency | Business Wire


Alpine Investors’ TEAM Services Group Completes Investment in AmeriBest, a Leading Home Care Agency

October 02, 2019 11:28 AM Eastern Daylight Time
SAN DIEGO & PHILADELPHIA–(BUSINESS WIRE)–TEAM Services Group (“TEAM”), a portfolio company of Alpine Investors (“Alpine”), today announced that it has partnered with AmeriBest Home Care, Inc. (“AmeriBest”), a market-leading home care agency that provides home and community-based services in the greater Philadelphia region.
TEAM Services Group, a portfolio company of @AlpineInvestSF, today announced that it has partnered with home care agency AmeriBest Home Care, Inc.
AmeriBest will continue to operate under its current brand name within TEAM Public Choices (“TPC”), a division of TEAM that serves clients through Medicaid and other state-sponsored disability programs. Omar Khanataev will remain as AmeriBest’s CEO.
Both AmeriBest and TPC are committed to providing high-quality patient and caregiver services to seniors and people with disabilities in the comfort of their own homes and focus on providing care that empowers individuals and families to work with whom they want.
“We couldn’t be more excited about entering this new partnership with AmeriBest Home Care,” said Cullen Knights, CFO and COO of Team Services Group. “From the start, it was clear that TEAM and AmeriBest shared similar values, including a commitment to quality in service of their clients. These efforts have earned AmeriBest a well-deserved positive reputation in Pennsylvania, and we look forward to supporting them in their mission going forward.”
“We are absolutely thrilled to partner with TEAM,” said Khanataev. “It was clear from the onset that we shared the same vision, strategy, and philosophy for home and community-based services in helping our patients lead dignified and independent lives. We look forward to becoming the provider of choice with this newly formed partnership.”
Lincoln International LLC served as financial advisor to AmeriBest.
About TEAM Public Choices
TEAM Public Choices is a leading facilitator of supports for the elderly and people with disabilities, with an emphasis on empowering self-direction and consumer choice. TPC understands that programs that allow individuals to receive care in settings of their own choosing result in lower costs, better health outcomes, and an improved quality of life. TPC currently operates in 23 states. For more information, visit http://www.teampublicchoices.com.
About Alpine Investors
Alpine Investors is a people-driven private equity firm that is committed to building enduring companies by working with, learning from, and developing exceptional people. Alpine specializes in middle-market companies in the software and services industries. Its PeopleFirst strategy includes a CEO-in-Residence program where Alpine partners with CEOs first and places them into companies as part of the transaction. This provides a distinct solution for situations where additional or new management is desired post-transaction. For more information, visit http://www.alpineinvestors.com/.
About AmeriBest
AmeriBest is a market-leading home care agency that provides home and community- based services in the greater Philadelphia region. With a mission centered on patient advocacy, AmeriBest provides personal care attendant services to over 1,000 clients. It operates under Pennsylvania’s managed Medicaid program.

Contacts

For Business Inquiries
Marcus Bradley
619-795-0607
For Media Inquiries
Caitlin Byrnes
646-502-3551
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-Revelstoke Completes Investment in The Care Team | Business Wire


Revelstoke Completes Investment in The Care Team

October 16, 2019 09:09 AM Eastern Daylight Time
DENVER–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Revelstoke Capital Partners (“Revelstoke”), a Denver-based healthcare services private equity firm, and The Care Team (“TCT” or the “Company”), one of the largest home health and hospice agencies in the Great Lakes region, announced Revelstoke’s investment in TCT to support its growth objectives and continued focus on delivering the highest quality care.
“Over the last four years, The Care Team has grown into a leading regional provider of home health and hospice care, serving patients across Michigan”
The Care Team offers a full spectrum of home care services including nursing services, therapy services and hospice care across central and eastern Michigan. The Company employs top industry professionals including physical therapists, skilled nurses, medical social workers, home health aides, and occupational and speech therapists. TCT’s hospice team provides specialized care that addresses the patient’s physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs while providing reprieve and comfort for patients’ families.
“This investment is the result of a multi-year outbound search in the home health and hospice industry for providers that can offer excellent outcomes for patients in the lowest cost-of-care setting. Our partnership with TCT, a leading home health and hospice agency that is well-positioned for growth and consolidation, achieves this objective,” said Russell Cassella, Managing Partner at Revelstoke.
“TCT’s management team has developed the infrastructure and capabilities needed to provide patients and families with exceptional and cost-efficient care. With consolidation in the industry expected to accelerate, we are seeking other leading agencies to partner with so we can further expand the Company’s reach and capabilities,” added Jonny Miller, Vice President at Revelstoke.
Founder and CEO Jason Laing will continue to serve as CEO and remain a significant shareholder in the Company. “Over the last four years, The Care Team has grown into a leading regional provider of home health and hospice care, serving patients across Michigan,” said Mr. Laing. “Partnering with Revelstoke will provide us with the expertise, capital and guidance needed to expand our presence in Michigan and enable our entry in new markets.”
Winston & Strawn LLP acted as legal counsel to Revelstoke. Howard & Howard LLP acted as legal counsel, and Greenwich Capital Group acted as a financial advisor, to The Care Team.
About The Care Team
The Care Team is a leading home health and hospice provider based in Farmington Hills, Michigan that is licensed to provide services throughout the state. TCT provides skilled care for homebound patients, as well as end-of-life care for older adults. With three locations across eastern Michigan, The Care Team offers instant access to comprehensive home health care, including physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, nursing, social workers, home health aides and bereavement.
About Revelstoke
Revelstoke is a private equity firm formed by experienced investors who focus on building industry-leading companies in the healthcare and related business services sectors. Revelstoke partners with entrepreneurs and management teams to execute on a disciplined organic and acquisition growth strategy to build exceptional companies. Since the firm’s inception in mid-2013, Revelstoke has raised approximately $1.9 billion of equity and has completed 64 acquisitions, which includes 16 platform companies and 48 add-on acquisitions.

Contacts

Amanda Isaacson (612) 229-3407
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Acorn Health Acquires Behavior Therapy Specialists in O’Fallon, IL | Business Wire

MM 1 Sentence Summary- Behavior Therapy Specialists joins Acorn Health which will expand ABA services in Illinois and gives them operations in Michigan, Florida, Virginia, and Illinois. 

Acorn Health Acquires Behavior Therapy Specialists in O’Fallon, IL

December 09, 2019 05:28 PM Eastern Standard Time
MIAMI–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Acorn Health is pleased to announce that Behavior Therapy Specialists (BTS) in O’Fallon, IL has now joined the Acorn Health family. Behavior Therapy Specialists will serve as a regional platform for providing high quality home- and center-based Applied Behavior Analysis (“ABA”) services to children and adults diagnosed with autism in Southern Illinois and Northern Missouri. With this acquisition, Acorn Health now has operations in Michigan, Florida, Virginia and Illinois, and continues to look for partnerships with high-quality provider groups in existing and adjacent new markets.
Acorn Health is pleased to announce that Behavior Therapy Specialists in O’Fallon, IL has now joined the Acorn Health family.
“We are excited to have Behavior Therapy Specialists join the Acorn Health family, led by their founders, Jenna Kokoski M.Ed., BCBAn and Jessica Dow, M.Ed., BCBA,” said Vicki Kroviak, CEO of Acorn Health. “As our partners, Jenna and Jessica, and their clinical team will help us grow our ability to deliver top quality ABA services to families in need in the Southern Illinois area.”
Autism has been recognized as the fastest growing developmental disability, and identifying at-risk children by two years of age leads to the highest likelihood of early intervention. Research suggests that early intervention programs are beneficial for children with autism spectrum disorder, often improving developmental functioning and decreasing maladaptive behaviors and the severity of symptoms. ABA is one of the most researched and widely accepted forms of behavior therapy for children with autism, and at Acorn Health, clinicians work closely with each family to help their children find their strengths and develop independent, meaningful lives.
“We are thrilled to be expanding our ABA services via our partnership with BTS,” said Krista Boe, a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and Acorn Health’s Chief Clinical Officer. “Behavior Therapy Specialists’ clinical team has been serving clients in the area for years and Acorn Health looks forward to working with them to provide additional support and treatment options for local Illinois families.”
Behavior Therapy Specialists is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Acorn Health – a national provider of Applied behavior analysis therapy, with locations in Michigan, Virginia, Florida, and now, Illinois. To learn more about Behavior Therapy Specialists: www.behaviortherapyspecialists.com. To inquire about services at Behavior Therapy Specialists, please call 618-206-8816.
Acorn Health
Celebrate Difference, Realize potential.
833-226-7633, in**@*********th.com
To learn more about Acorn Health: www.acornhealth.com

Contacts

Media Contact Information:
Behavior Therapy Specialists
Jenna Kokoski

Acorn Health

Release Summary

Acorn Health is pleased to announce that Behavior Therapy Specialists in O’Fallon, IL has joined the Acorn Health family.

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-Expanding Into Pennsylvania, CareFinders Total Care Doubles Down With Acquisitions of At Home Quality Care and Philadelphia Home Care, Inc.


Expanding Into Pennsylvania, CareFinders Total Care Doubles Down With Acquisitions of At Home Quality Care and Philadelphia Home Care, Inc.

News provided by
Dec 03, 2019, 17:15 ET
HASBROUCK HEIGHTS, N.J., Dec. 3, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — CareFinders, the fastest-growing home healthcare provider in the Northeast region, has expanded its footprint into Pennsylvania with the addition of At Home Quality Care, a leading provider of personal home care services based in Clarks Summit, PA, and an acquisition of Philadelphia Home Care, Inc., a leading home care provider in the Philadelphia area.
These acquisitions are an important step for CareFinders’ growth and expansion strategy. CareFinders is the largest personal home care company in NJ, with 19 offices and a recent expansion to three offices in Connecticut. CareFinders’ move into Pennsylvania with these two acquisitions will give the company six additional offices and will increase its geographic footprint throughout the Northeast to three states.
In announcing the latest CareFinders’ acquisitions, CareFinders CEO, Jim Robinson, said, “Both At Home Quality Care and Philadelphia Home Care represent premier home care agencies in the markets they serve in Pennsylvania, offering both Medicaid and Private Pay personal care services. These newest members of the CareFinders family of companies have impeccable reputations for high-quality, personalized care. With our expanded footprint in Pennsylvania, these acquisitions take us one step closer to our goal of becoming the #1 Home Care Services company in the Northeast.”
CareFinders has become a significant personal care service provider over the last few years, with platform acquisitions in key, densely populated geographies in the Northeast. These PA acquisitions are consistent with the central elements of the CareFinders’ acquisition strategy, and they build on its already strong presence in states with expanding Medicaid benefits to the elderly population. 
CareFinders’ acquisitions of At Home Quality Care and Philadelphia Home Care fit uniquely with the company’s strategic growth and culture goals. “All of our companies share a common mission based on creating positive experiences between our clients and caregivers,” said Robinson. “We’re excited to have these Pennsylvania teams join our Care Finders family to further our commitment to ensure our patients enjoy the highest quality care in the comfort of their home.”
About CareFinders Total Care, LLC
CareFinders is the largest personal home care agency in New Jersey and provides home healthcare services to over 8,500 patients throughout New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania from 28 offices. CareFinders was founded in 1995 and in New Jersey is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation on Home Care (CAHC). It employs over 8,000 Certified Home Health Aides and over 180 Registered Nurses and LPNs. For more information, visit www.carefinders.org or contact Linda Mintz, Co-Chairman at 551-223-1911.
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UnitedHealth buys Virginia Medicare Advantage plan


UnitedHealth buys Virginia Medicare Advantage plan (highlighted)

Morgan Haefner – Monday, October 7th, 2019 
A UnitedHealth Group subsidiary bought a Medicare Advantage plan in Virginia for an undisclosed amount, according to The News and Advance. 
Under the deal, effective Oct. 1, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company of the River Valley absorbed 5,000 Medicare Advantage members from Piedmont Community Health Plans. Piedmont Select Medicare Advantage members will likely see no change from the sale.
CMS approved the spinoff of Piedmont Select Medicare Advantage on Aug. 29. Under a transition agreement, Piedmont will continue to administer the plans through the end of the year, after which UnitedHealthcare will take over management of the plan.
Lynchburg, Va.-based Centra Health became the owner of Piedmont Community Health Plans in 2015. The health plan still has about 25,000 members in other products.
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Molina Healthcare to Expand New York Presence Through Acquisition of Certain Assets of YourCare Health Plan | Business Wire


Molina Healthcare to Expand New York Presence Through Acquisition of Certain Assets of YourCare Health Plan (highlighted)

October 16, 2019 06:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time
LONG BEACH, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Molina Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE: MOH) today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire certain assets of YourCare Health Plan, Inc., a not-for-profit subsidiary of Monroe Plan for Medical Care. As a part of the transaction, Molina will assume the right to serve approximately 46,000 Medicaid members in seven counties in the Western New York and Finger Lakes regions. Monroe and its affiliate MP CareSolutions will continue to provide certain management and administrative services related to member care and provider relations.
Molina Healthcare to Expand New York Presence Through Acquisition of Certain Assets of YourCare Health Plan
The purchase price of approximately $40 million will be funded through Molina’s available cash. Subject to the receipt of regulatory approvals and the satisfaction of other customary conditions, the closing of the transaction is expected to occur in early 2020. YourCare’s estimated premium revenue for the full year 2019 is approximately $285 million.
“We look forward to providing high-quality care to YourCare members in close partnership with the New York Department of Health and the provider community in the Western New York and Finger Lakes regions,” said Colleen Schmidt, president of Molina Healthcare of New York. “Molina is excited to partner with Monroe and MP CareSolutions on select services to facilitate access to quality health care and ensure a seamless transition for members and providers. This agreement represents an exciting opportunity to build upon our existing operations in New York and expand into new service areas.”
About Molina Healthcare
Molina Healthcare, Inc., a FORTUNE 500 company, provides managed health care services under the Medicaid and Medicare programs and through the state insurance marketplaces. Through its locally operated health plans, Molina Healthcare served approximately 3.4 million members as of June 30, 2019. For more information about Molina Healthcare, please visit molinahealthcare.com.
Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” regarding the proposed acquisition by Molina of certain assets of YourCare. All forward-looking statements are based on current expectations that are subject to numerous risk factors that could cause actual results to differ materially. Such risk factors include, without limitation, risks related to: the possibility that the transaction will not be completed on a timely basis or at all; the risk that regulatory or other approvals required for the transaction may be delayed or not obtained, or are obtained subject to conditions that are not anticipated that could require the exertion of management’s time and resources or otherwise have an adverse effect on Molina; the possible attrition in YourCare membership pending the completion of and following the closing of the transaction; the difficulty of maintaining new provider relations and managing potential medical cost increases resulting from potentially unfavorable changes in contracting or re-contracting with providers; the risk that, following the transaction, estimated premium revenue of YourCare or expected synergies and value creation from the transaction may not be realized, or will not be realized within the expected time period; the risk that Molina is unable to accurately estimate incurred but not reported medical costs with respect to this new population; and the risk that unexpected costs will be incurred in connection with the assumption of the YourCare membership or that the expansion to new regions will be more difficult or time consuming than expected. Additional information regarding the risk factors to which the Company is subject to, is provided in greater detail in its periodic reports and filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K. These reports can be accessed under the investor relations tab of the Company’s website or on the SEC’s website at sec.gov. Given these risks and uncertainties, the Company can give no assurances that its forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, or that any other results or events projected or contemplated by its forward-looking statements will in fact occur, and the Company cautions investors not to place undue reliance on these statements. All forward-looking statements in this release represent the Company’s judgment as of the date hereof, and, except as otherwise required by law, Molina disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements to conform the statement to actual results or changes in its expectations.

Contacts

Investor Contact: Julie Trudell, Ju***********@**************re.com, 562-912-6720
Media Contact: Laura Murray, La**********@**************re.com, 562-506-9208
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Health Alliance Plan Acquisition Of Trusted HP – Michigan Approved

MM 1 Sentence Summary- Health Alliance acquires Trusted HP-Michigan 

Health Alliance Plan Acquisition Of Trusted HP – Michigan Approved (highlighted)

Transaction begins Medicaid expansion in metro Detroit for HAP and Henry Ford Health System
News provided by
Sep 19, 2019, 11:15 ET
Henry Ford Health System and Health Alliance Plan (HAP), a nonprofit health plan and operating unit of , announced today that HAP’s acquisition of Trusted HP – Michigan has received all regulatory approvals and the acquisition became effective on .
Wright Lassiter III, president and CEO, Henry Ford Health System
Dr. Michael Genord, Interim President & CEO, HAP
(PRNewsfoto/Health Alliance Plan,Henry Ford)
Henry Ford and HAP announced in June that HAP had signed a definitive agreement to acquire Trusted HP – Michigan, a Medicaid plan based in Detroit, formerly known as Harbor Health Plan, Inc.  The completion of this transaction solidifies HAP’s re-entrance into the state of Michigan’s Medicaid HMO service area known as Region 10, which includes Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties.
“Participation in Michigan’s Region 10 Medicaid service area is a key strategic priority for Henry Ford and HAP given our geographical footprint, and this acquisition positions us for Medicaid growth in our primary service area,” said Wright Lassiter III, President and CEO, Henry Ford Health System.  “HAP and Henry Ford are dedicated to using our joint assets and unique integrated health system programs to improve the quality and access to care for this area’s Medicaid patients, which are among our most vulnerable populations.”
HAP acquired Trusted HP – Michigan from Trusted Health Plan Inc., a Washington, D.C.-based managed care organization.  Previously named Harbor Health Plan and ProCare Health Plan, the plan has been operating as a licensed HMO in Michigan since 2000.  As a result of this transaction, Trusted HP – Michigan’s nearly two dozen employees will become HAP employees.
The terms of the agreement provide for a seamless transition for Trusted HP – Michigan members, who will be able to keep their doctor and continue using their services and current ID cards.  There is no impact to current HAP members as a result of this transaction.  The Trusted brand will remain in place through the end of 2019.  Effective January 1, 2020, all Medicaid members will be under one HAP-branded Medicaid name.
“HAP and Henry Ford Health System are focused on providing Medicaid beneficiaries with a differentiated care model focused on value-based care,” said Dr. Michael Genord, interim president and CEO, HAP.  “We are investing in care coordination programs, including those aimed at social determinants of health, to improve the health and well-being of the members we serve.  And we are thrilled that this now includes Trusted’s Medicaid members, most of whom are in Wayne County.”
HAP serves 570,000 total members across Michigan.  HAP’s subsidiary, HAP Midwest Health Plan, offers Medicaid products under the HAP Empowered name. HAP Empowered is currently available in Region 6, which includes Genesee, Huron, Lapeer, Sanilac, Shiawassee, St. Clair and Tuscola counties. Covered Medicaid programs offered through HAP Empowered include health care coverage for people impacted by the Flint water crisis, MIChild, Healthy Michigan Plan and Children’s Special Health Care Services.
HAP also participates in the MI Health Link Dual Demonstration Project, serving 4,500 members who are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid in Wayne and Macomb counties, including some of the most underserved areas of Detroit.
About Henry Ford Health System
Henry Ford Health System is a six-hospital system headquartered in Detroit, Michigan. It is one of the nation’s leading comprehensive, integrated health systems, recognized for clinical excellence and innovation. Henry Ford provides both health insurance and health care delivery, including acute, specialty, primary and preventive care services backed by excellence in research and education. Henry Ford Health System is led by President & CEO Wright Lassiter III. Visit HenryFord.com to learn more.
About Health Alliance Plan
Health Alliance Plan (HAP) is a Michigan-based, nonprofit health plan that provides health coverage to individuals and companies of all sizes. For nearly 60 years, HAP has partnered with leading doctors and hospitals, employers and community organizations to enhance the health and well-being of the lives it touches. HAP offers a product portfolio with six distinct product lines: Group Insured Commercial, Individual, Medicare, Medicaid (using the HAP Empowered name), Self-Funded and Network Leasing. HAP excels in delivering award-winning preventive services, disease management and wellness programs, as well as personalized customer service. For more information, visit www.hap.org.
SOURCE Henry Ford Health System; Health Alliance Plan

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New Hampshire regulators block Partners acquisition over antitrust concerns – Boston Business Journal

MM 1 Sentence Summary- NH attorney general blocks Massachusetts Gen Hospital from acquiring Partners saying it will violate state antitrust laws 

New Hampshire regulators block Partners acquisition over antitrust concerns

Sep 20, 2019, 1:07pm EDT
Partners HealthCare’s plan to further its expansion into New Hampshire ran into a roadblock on Friday, with the Granite State’s attorney general, Gordon MacDonald, saying the acquisition would violate state antitrust laws.
In May 2018, Partners’ flagship Massachusetts General Hospital announced that it planned to acquire Exeter Health Resources in New Hampshire. Plans called for Exeter to merge with Wentworth-Douglass Hospital, which MGH acquired in 2017, forming a new non-profit system for New Hampshire’s Seacoast region.
While the attorney general’s charitable trusts unit has been reviewing the transaction since the hospitals submitted materials in May 2019, the attorney general’s consumer protection and antitrust bureau has been conducting a private review of the transactions for over a year.
Last week, the antitrust division issued a notice of intent to halt the transaction over concerns of antitrust violations. The charitable trusts unit subsequently issued a report Friday objecting to the proposed transaction, noting that if the hospitals resolve concerns with the antitrust division, it can refile its submission to charitable trusts.
“Our most important duty is to protect the public and we will not hesitate to use the enforcement tools available to us to do so,” MacDonald said in a statement. “New Hampshire patients already pay some of the highest prices for health care in the country. Based on our investigation, we have concluded that this transaction implicates our laws protecting free and fair competition and therefore threatens even higher health care costs to be borne by New Hampshire consumers.”
In a release, hospital officials said they expect to continue conversations with the attorney general on the benefits of the transaction to ultimately resolve the concerns.
“We are optimistic that the parties can continue to have an open dialogue with the regulators or government officials about this important affiliation,” said Dr. Peter Slavin, MGH’s president. “We remain fully committed to seeing this transaction through and are confident that the Attorney General’s Office will ultimately determine that our affiliation will pass antitrust review based on the thorough review that the expert economists have completed on this proposal. We look forward to continuing to enhance quality healthcare in the Seacoast Region.”
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Blue Cross puts merger on hold amid video showing CEO sideswiping tractor trailer on I-85

MM 1 Sentence Summary- BCBS and Cambia Health’s merge has been delayed because of CEO Conway’s legal trouble 

Blue Cross puts merger on hold amid video showing CEO sideswiping tractor trailer on I-85

September 24, 2019 12:57 PM
Video appears to show BCBS CEO driving erratically, hitting tractor-trailer on I-85
A video provided to The News & Observer appears to show an SUV driven by Patrick Conway, president and CEO of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NC, weaving between lanes for several miles on Interstate 85 before colliding with a tractor-trailer. By Submitted Video
ASHEBORO
North Carolina’s largest health insurer on Tuesday suspended an ongoing merger, making the announcement the same day new details emerged about its CEO’s recent driving charges.
“Blue Cross NC has decided to put its proposed strategic affiliation with Cambia Health Solutions on temporary hold,” the company announced in an email to media shortly after 3 p.m. “Blue Cross NC is committed to focusing on its customers, employees and the North Carolina communities it serves.”
TOP ARTICLES
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina and Cambia, an Oregon-based company, announced their intentions to form a partnership in March. The two companies would together cover around 6 million people and have about $16 billion in combined revenue, the News & Observer previously reported.

Blue Cross is bigger than Cambia, reporting $9.9 billion in revenue last year and covering 3.7 million people. Cambia had revenue of about $6 billion on coverage of around 2.6 million people.
Blue Cross announced the merger being put on hold on the same day that new details emerged about Dr. Patrick Conway, its president and CEO. A video provided to The News & Observer Tuesday appears to show Conway weaving between lanes for several miles on Interstate 85 before sideswiping a tractor-trailer.
Conway, 45, was charged with driving while impaired and misdemeanor child abuse after the June 22 accident. His two daughters were in the car, according to police.

Video of Conway’s car

The video, shot by a motorist on I-85 and sent to police, shows an SUV that appears to match the 2017 Cadillac listed on the report from Archdale police.
An affidavit from the Archdale officer said Conway smelled of alcohol, had bloodshot eyes and slurred speech and was unsteady on his feet. He refused a blood-alcohol test and had his license revoked for 30 days, according to court records.
According to a confidential police report obtained by WRAL, Conway denied wrongdoing and later became “belligerent” at the police station.
The report quotes Conway saying: “’You had a choice. You could have let me go. You don’t know who I am. I am a doctor, a CO of a company. I’ll call Governor Cooper and get you in trouble,’“ WRAL reported.
Cooper “was not involved in this incident in any way,” spokesman Ford Porter told The N&O.
Blue Cross didn’t comment on Tuesday’s reports. Conway’s attorney, Thomas Walker, released a statement to the N&O saying the CEO is “deeply ashamed and embarrassed” about the pain he caused family and co-workers.
“He knows his conduct was unacceptable and not consistent with who he is as a person. He has never had an incident like this before,” Walker said.
“To his credit, he immediately disclosed the incident to the Blue Cross NC Board. He stepped down from his daily duties and voluntarily and successfully completed 30 days of inpatient substance use treatment. He’s committed to continuing to handle this appropriately going forward and will do so.”

Blue Cross response

Last week, state Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey asked for Conway to be replaced by an interim president while his charges are resolved, calling them “alarming.”
He also chided the Blue Cross board for appearing to hide the arrest, saying he expected the insurer’s executive team to be more “accountable, responsible and transparent.”
Conway earned $3.59 million last year, WRAL reported.
In response, board Chairman Frank Holding Jr. said Conway had undergone a professional substance abuse assessment and attended a 30-day inpatient treatment.
“Based on detailed information shared by the facility based on Dr. Conway’s assessment and treatment, the board was satisfied Dr. Conway could continue to provide strong leadership to BlueCross NC,” Holding’s letter said.
Blue Cross “refrained” from talking publicly about Conway’s incident “out of respect for the legal process underway in Randolph County, Dr. Conway’s right to due process, and medical privacy concerns and obligations,” Holding added.

Washington commissioner’s letter

On Tuesday night, Washington’s state insurance commissioner released a letter he sent to Cambia Heath Solutions’ Board of Directors earlier that day.
In the letter, Commissioner Mike Kreidler said his office is reviewing the proposed merger of Cambia with Blue Cross. Cambia was formerly known as The Regence Group, according to its website.
Krieidler said he learned only about Conway’s June arrest on Sept. 19, the day news reports were published about the allegations. He said he learned about the arrest after Cambia CEO Mark Ganz asked for his personal cell phone number “to communicate an urgent message that could not wait until normal business hours.”
Kreidler said Blue Cross should have notified him immediately and had a “legal obligation” to inform him within two business days of “any material changes” to Conway’s biographical affidavit.
“The fact that Dr. Conway was arrested and faces serious allegations and charges is without question a material change,” Kreidler wrote.
“I am deeply troubled by your failure to communicate responsibly and transparently,” he said in the letter to the board of directors. “Both the board and CEO share the responsibility to deal with my office in a straightforward and honest fashion. Secrets are not permissible.
“Your behavior in this matter must, and will, be taken into account as my office considers the Cambia/Regence’s request for a merger,” the letter concluded.
Staff writers Zachery Eanes and Mark Schultz contributed to this story
Paul “Andy” Specht reports on North Carolina leaders and state politics for The News & Observer and PolitiFact. Specht previously covered Raleigh City Hall and town governments around the Triangle. He’s a Raleigh native who graduated from Campbell University in Buies Creek, N.C. Contact him at as*****@**********er.com or (919) 829-4870.

Major Blue Health Insurers Drop Deal to Combine

Move comes after resignation of North Carolina insurer CEO Patrick Conway

By
Anna Wilde Mathews,
Leslie Scism and
Valerie Bauerlein
Oct. 11, 2019 8:51 pm ET
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina and Cambia Health Solutions said they were dropping plans to combine, after the resignation of the North Carolina insurer’s chief executive.
Former Blue Cross of North Carolina CEO Patrick Conway had stepped down amid fallout over an allegedly alcohol-related traffic accident. The two insurers had said they were pausing their deal on Sept. 24, as details of the June incident emerged.
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Optima Health to take majority stake in Virginia Premier | Virginia Business

MM 1 Sentence Summary- Optima Health Plan takes majority ownership of MCO VA Premier and together they will serve 800k members. 

Optima Health to take majority stake in Virginia Premier (Highlighted)

Published September 26, 2019 by Robert Powell, III
Virginia Beach-based Optima Health Plan will become the majority owner of Richmond-based Virginia Premier, a nonprofit managed-care organization.
Virginia Premier was founded in 1995 by VCU Health System. The Richmond-based health system will retain a 20% ownership stake in Virginia Premier. Together, Optima and Virginia Premier will serve nearly 800,000 members. Optima is a subsidiary of Norfolk-based Sentara Healthcare.
“As provider-led health plans, Optima Health and Virginia Premier share similar cultures, values and a commitment to delivering innovative services that meet the unique needs of the populations we serve,” Dennis A. Matheis, president of Optima Health and executive vice president of Sentara Healthcare, said in a statement. “Together, we will be better positioned to increase access to quality care, achieve greater efficiencies and develop new services to improve our members’ overall experience.”
Optima and Virginia Premier are two of the state’s original Medicaid managed care organizations. Company officials said Virginia Premier and Optima will continue to operate as separate entities, retaining their names and brands. Virginia Premier will maintain an operations center in Richmond and a presence in other areas in the state.
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