WellCare Completes Acquisition of Standalone Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plan Business from Aetna

PR Newswire

TAMPA, Fla., Dec. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG) announced today, that on November 30, 2018, it closed its acquisition of Aetna Inc.'s standalone Medicare Part D prescription drug plans (the "Aetna Part D plans").

"We're pleased that we could be a solution to our federal partners, as well as CVS Health," said Ken Burdick, WellCare's chief executive officer. "This acquisition allows us the opportunity to serve over 2 million additional Medicare Part D members nationwide and complements our long-term growth strategy within government-sponsored health plans."

Per the terms of the related agreements, Aetna will provide administrative services to, and assume the financial risk of, the Aetna Part D plans through the end of plan year 2019. As a result, under generally accepted accounting principles, WellCare does not expect to recognize any revenue from the Aetna Part D plans or it to affect its results of operations until 2020. As of September 30, 2018, WellCare served approximately 1.1 million standalone Medicare Part D prescription drug plan members.

About WellCare Health Plans, Inc.

Headquartered in Tampa, Fla., WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG) focuses primarily on providing government-sponsored managed care services to families, children, seniors and individuals with complex medical needs primarily through Medicaid, Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Plans, as well as individuals in the Health Insurance Marketplace. WellCare serves approximately 5.5 million members nationwide as of September 30, 2018. For more information about WellCare, please visit the company's website at www.wellcare.com.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking" statements that are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements that are predictive in nature, that depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, or that include words such as "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "will," and similar expressions are forward-looking statements. For example, statements regarding the financial impact of WellCare's acquisition of the Aetna Part D business contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause the Company's actual future results to differ materially from those projected or contemplated in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, WellCare's progress on top priorities such as improving health care quality and access, ensuring a competitive cost position, and delivering prudent, profitable growth, WellCare's ability to effectively estimate and manage growth, WellCare's ability to effectively identify, execute and integrate acquisitions, potential reductions in Medicaid and Medicare revenue, WellCare's ability to estimate and manage medical benefits expense effectively, including through its vendors, its ability to negotiate actuarially sound rates, especially in new programs with limited experience, the appropriation and payment by state governments of Medicaid premiums receivable, the outcome of any protests and litigation related to Medicaid awards, the approval of Medicaid contracts by CMS, any changes to the programs or contracts, WellCare's ability to address operational challenges related to new business, and WellCare's ability to meet the requirements of readiness reviews. Given the risks and uncertainties inherent in forward-looking statements, any of WellCare's forward-looking statements could be incorrect and investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any of our forward-looking statements.

Additional information concerning these and other important risks and uncertainties can be found in WellCare's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, included under the captions "Forward-Looking Statements" and "Risk Factors" in WellCare's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, and in WellCare's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2018, which contain discussions of WellCare's business and the various factors that may affect it. Subsequent events and developments may cause actual results to differ, perhaps materially, from WellCare's forward-looking statements. WellCare's forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which the statements are made. WellCare undertakes no duty, and expressly disclaims any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements to reflect any future events, developments or otherwise.

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