WellPoint Completes Acquisition of American Imaging Management
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INDIANAPOLIS and DEERFIELD, Ill., Aug. 1 /-- WellPoint, Inc. (NYSE:WLP), the nation's leading health benefits provider, today announced the completion of its acquisition of American Imaging Management (AIM), a leading radiology benefit management and technology company. AIM will remain headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois, as a wholly owned operating division of WellPoint and will continue to be led by its president, Dave Harrington.
"The primary strategic goal of this acquisition is to achieve more affordable and appropriate diagnostic imaging services for our members," said Angela F. Braly, president and chief executive officer of WellPoint. "AIM's leadership position in radiology management and technology will help enable WellPoint to further advance its initiatives to drive more value in health care by better managing rising health care costs, increase transparency and promote improved quality in patient outcomes."
AIM pioneered the integration of technology and clinical content for radiology management through the introduction of web-based prior authorization in 2002. This platform allows ordering physicians to directly submit information and receive real-time evaluation against widely accepted clinical guidelines through an easy-to-use interface.
AIM's web capabilities also help to improve quality and efficiency by facilitating information transfer between ordering physicians and rendering facilities to deliver a complete and correct understanding of the clinical order, helping to reduce potential waste and administrative burden caused by poor communication. AIM also introduced the first set of web-enabled tools to install cost and quality transparency into the selection of the best value in diagnostic imaging facilities.
AIM currently serves health plan clients representing over 20 million consumers. The acquisition of AIM will be accretive to earnings beginning in 2008.
About WellPoint, Inc.
WellPoint's mission is to improve the lives of the people it serves and the health of its communities. WellPoint, Inc. is the largest health benefits company in terms of commercial membership in the United States. Through its nationwide networks, the company delivers a number of leading health benefit solutions through a broad portfolio of integrated health care plans and related services, along with a wide range of specialty products such as life and disability insurance benefits, pharmacy benefit management, dental, vision, behavioral health benefit services, as well as long term care insurance and flexible spending accounts. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, WellPoint is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association and serves its members as the Blue Cross licensee for California; the Blue Cross and Blue Shield licensee for Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri (excluding 30 counties in the Kansas City area), Nevada, New Hampshire, New York (as Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield in 10 New York City metropolitan and surrounding counties and as Empire Blue Cross or Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield in selected upstate counties only), Ohio, Virginia (excluding the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C.), Wisconsin; and through UniCare. Additional information about WellPoint is available at www.wellpoint.com.
FCMN Contact: angela.allen@wellpoint.com
Source: WellPoint, Inc.
CONTACT: Media, James P. Kappel, +1-317-488-6400, or Investor Relations, Michael Kleinman, +1-317-488-6713, both of WellPoint, Inc.
Web site: www.wellpoint.com/
