News Service of Florida
Centene Corp. will acquire the Tampa-based WellCare Health Plans, Inc. in a $17.3 billion deal that will combine two of the biggest players in Florida’s Medicaid managed-care system, the companies announced Wednesday.
Centene does business in Florida as Sunshine Health, while WellCare’s Florida Medicaid business is Staywell Health Plan. The companies provide coverage in similar markets in the state. The deal, in part, would give Centene access to WellCare’s business in parts of the country such as Hawaii, Kentucky and New Jersey.
