News
 
June  16

'Ohana Health Plan Announces Launch of new medicaid health plan servicing aged, blind or disabled members
 

HONOLULU, HI - June 16, 2008 - `Ohana Health Plan, one of two health plans awarded a contract to participate in the Hawai‘i QUEST Expanded Access (QExA) program, today announced it will provide managed care services to the Hawai‘i Medicaid aged, blind or disabled (ABD) population needing primary, acute and long-term care services.(more)
May  22

WellCare Realigns its workforce

 

TAMPA, FL  - May 22, 2008 - WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG) announced today that it is realigning its workforce to respond to changing business conditions and to strengthen its position as a leader in government-sponsored healthcare programs.  (more)
Apr  7WellCare of Georgia Secures Member Information Accidently Exposed on the Internet
 

ATLANTA, GA  - April 7, 2008 - WellCare of Georgia, Inc. today announced that a human error made some Georgia Families member data available on the Internet. On March 28th, WellCare secured the data on its own computer systems and by April 2nd, all WellCare member information had been removed from the Internet.  (more)

Mar 13WellCare and Adventist Health System PartnerTo Expand Florida Provider Network
 

ORLANDO, FL - March 13, 2008 - The Florida Division of Adventist Health System (AHS) and WellCare Health Plans, Inc. announced today that AHS Florida Division joined WellCare’s
provider network for Medicare, Medicaid and Healthy Kids beneficiaries throughout Florida. Effective March 1, 2008, all 17 AHS hospitals, 16 Centra Care locations, five Florida Radiology Imaging centers, two ambulatory surgery centers, and six home health agencies in Florida are available to provide care and services to WellCare members.  (more)

Mar 10WellCare Names Thomas F. O'Neil III as Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary
 

TAMPA, FL - March 10, 2008 - — WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG) today announced that Thomas F. O’Neil III, formerly a partner at DLA Piper US LLP, General Counsel of the MCI Group and an Assistant United States Attorney, will join the Company as Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary on or about April 1, 2008. (more)

 

Jan 25

WellCare Announces Appointment of Charles Berg as Executive Chairman and Heath Schiesser as President and CEO and Departures of CEO, CFO, and General Counsel
 TAMPA, FL - January 25, 2008 - The Board of Directors of WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG) today announced the appointment of Charles G. Berg as Executive Chairman and Heath Schiesser as President and Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately, saying that it is in the best long-term interest of the company to provide new leadership. (more)

Nov 16  

HealthMetrix Research Selects 2008 Medicare Advantage Plans for Best Overall Benefit Value

WellCare is Recognized Nationally for Cost-Sharing Effectiveness and Overall Value. 

COLUMBUS, OH - November 16, 2007 - WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE:WCG) today announced that HealthMetrix Research selected WellCare as a 2008 Senior Choice Gold Award recipient for its Medicare Advantage benefits plan. (more)

 
Nov 5  

WellCare Reports Preliminary Financial and Operating Data

TAMPA, FL - November 5, 2007 - WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE:  WCG) today reported preliminary financial and operating data for the third quarter of 2007. (more)

 
 

Nov 2

Special Committee of WellCare's Board To Conduct Independent Investigation
 

TAMPA, FL - November 2, 2007 - WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE:  WCG) today announced that the previously formed special committee of its Board of Directors will conduct an independent investigation into matters raised as part of the ngoing investigation and inquiries by certain federal and state agencies or other regulatory bodies or organizations as well as other governmental or private party proceedings that may commence. (more)

Oct 26WellCare Comments on Uninterrupted Business Operations
 TAMPA, FL - October 26, 2007 - The primary focus of WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG) is to ensure that operations are running smoothly, provider claims are paid in a timely manner, customers’ calls are answered and access to covered health care services for members is provided.  “We continue to respond to Wednesday’s developments in a direct, prompt and orderly manner,” said Todd S. Farha, chairman and chief executive officer.  “We remain committed to cooperating with the government throughout this process.” (more)

Oct 25 

Message from Todd S. Farha, chairman and chief executive officer

 

 
Oct 24

Tampa, FL - October 24, 2007  - Today federal and state officials executed a search warrant at our Tampa headquarters.  We are cooperating with the authorities. (more)

 
Sep 28WellCare Announces Successful Medicare Part D Bid
 WellCare offers two prescription drug plans with free generic drugs.
 Tampa, FL -  September 28, 2007 - WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG) today announced the results of its bid for participation in the national Medicare Part D prescription drug plan (PDP) in 2008. As a result of a successful bid process, WellCare will continue offering its prescription drug plans in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. WellCare is one of the nation’s largest Medicare Part D providers, with 971,000 members nationwide as reported June 30, 2007.  (more)
Sep 10WellCare Announces Leadership Team Additions
 Addition of Chief Medical Officer and President of Texas
 Tampa, FL -  September 10, 2007 - WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG) has added two new executives to its senior management team. “We continue to invest in our executive team,” stated Todd S. Farha, chairman and chief executive officer. "We have added 34 executives at the vice president and above level since 2006, and I am particularly pleased to announce these recent additions."  (more)
Aug 27WellCare Assures Medicaid Members of Access to Quality Dentists
 Kool Smiles Removed from Network -- DCH Reviewing Allegations of Over-utilization of Services, ‘Unusual Patterns of Patient Restraint’
 Atlanta, GA - August 27, 2007 – WellCare of Georgia, Inc. announced today that it has confirmed hundreds of dentists in its network available to treat new patients. In fact, the WellCare dental network has the capacity to treat two-to-three times the number of patients who were seeing Kool Smiles dentists before WellCare terminated its contract with Kool Smiles.  (more)
Jun 28WellCare Awards Grant to Nathaniel’s Hope in Support of Disability Community
 TAMPA, FL - June 28, 2007 - WellCare of Florida, Inc., a subsidiary of WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG), today announced a $15,000 grant to Nathanial’s Hope, a non-profit organization dedicated to assisting children with special needs and their families. The WellCare grant will go toward the Buddy Break program, a respite program that provides temporary relief for families of children with disabilities throughout Florida. This respite program provides three hours of medically supervised child care so caregivers of individuals with disabilities can take a break to meet other personal needs.  (more)
Jun 15WellCare Joins Industry in Compliance Pledge to Protect Medicare Beneficiaries
 WellCare will adopt industry best practices and implement 2008 CMS marketing requirements ahead of schedule
 TAMPA, FL - June 15, 2007 - WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE:WCG) today announced that it has joined six other leading Medicare Advantage health plans in pledging to strengthen consumer protections for Medicare beneficiaries. This pledge includes the accelerated implementation of the recently-released 2008 CMS marketing guidance, as well as the development of best practices for compliance oversight of independent sales agents. To allow time for these activities, the pledge includes a temporary suspension of marketing of WellCare’s private fee-for-service (PFFS) plans.  (more)
Jun 05The Family Café Hosts 9th Annual Conference for the Disability Community
 WellCare sponsors healthcare summit and breakfast for 10,000 at conference
 TAMPA, FL - June 05, 2007 - The Family Café is hosting its 9th Annual Family Café Conference for Floridians with disabilities and their families at the Rosen Shingle Creek Conference Center in Orlando on June 8-10, 2007. The Family Café is a dynamic, statewide event that provides an information-sharing forum for the thousands of Floridians with disabilities and their families. (more)
May 30WellCare Employees Team Up With Habitat for Humanity To Finish Home For Family
 TAMPA, FL - May 30, 2007 - A team of some 30 volunteers from the Tampa headquarters of WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE:WCG) is helping a family realize their dream of home ownership. The WellCare volunteers worked with Habitat for Humanity to help build a home near the University of South Florida on Saturday, May 19. (more)
May 10WellCare Strengthens Compliance Practices to Protect Medicare Beneficiaries
 TAMPA, FL - May 10, 2007 - WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE:WCG) today announced additional compliance measures designed to protect the rights of Medicare beneficiaries. These new enhancements will increase the oversight of independent sales agents who market the company’s Medicare Advantage products. WellCare is working in conjunction with America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) as it prepares to introduce new principles to protect Medicare beneficiaries nationally. (more)
May 09Harmony Health Plan Rolls Out Mobile Wellness Center
 TAMPA, FL - May 09, 2007 - Harmony Health Plan, part of the WellCare family of health plans (NYSE:WCG), recently unveiled their new Mobile Wellness Center. More than 70 community leaders were at the ribbon cutting ceremony at the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center in East St. Louis. (more)
Apr 30Former Senator Bob Graham Joins WellCare Board
 TAMPA, FL - April 30, 2007 - WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG) today announced that Senator Bob Graham has been appointed to serve on its Board of Directors. Senator Graham is the former two-term Governor of the State of Florida and also the former United States Senator from Florida. Senator Graham has been appointed to fill a two-year term ending in 2009. (more)
Apr 30WellCare announces first quarter 2007 results
 TAMPA, FL - April 30, 2007 - WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG) today announced that net income for the first quarter of 2007 increased 48.9% to $25.0 million, or $0.60 per diluted share, compared with net income of $16.8 million, or $0.42 per diluted share for the first quarter of 2006. First quarter 2007 revenues increased 69.7% to $1.24 billion compared with $0.73 billion for the first quarter of 2006. (more)
Nov 1WellCare Health Plan Receives Senior Choice Gold Award for Excellence in 2007 Medicare Plan Benefits in the Greater Rochester Area
 COLUMBUS, OH - November 1, 2006 - WellCare Health Plan is one of 33 Medicare plans nationally to be recognized for cost-sharing effectiveness and value in the design of their 2007 medical and Part D prescription drug benefits for Medicare beneficiaries. WellCare Value is the only Medicare Advantage plan in the Rochester area to qualify for the 2007 Senior Choice Gold Award. (more)
Nov 1WellCare Health Plan Receives Senior Choice Gold Award for Excellence in 2007 Medicare Plan Benefits in the Greater Chicago Area
 COLUMBUS, OH - November 1, 2006 - WellCare Health Plan is one of 33 Medicare plans nationally to be recognized for cost-sharing effectiveness and value in the design of their 2007 medical and Part D prescription drug benefits for Medicare beneficiaries. WellCare Value is the only Medicare Advantage plan in the greater Chicago area to qualify for the 2007 Senior Choice Gold Award. (more)
Oct 2WellCare® Launches Private-Fee-For-Service Medicare Plans In Over 700 Counties Across 38 States & Washington, D.C.
 Offerings include $0 Premium Plans with Drug Coverage and Low-Cost Alternatives to Medicare Supplements
 TAMPA, FL - October 2, 2006 - WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG) today announced it will offer private-fee-for-service (PFFS) plans to Medicare beneficiaries in 700 counties in 38 states and Washington, D.C. WellCare will offer four Open Access plans that will allow members to be seen by any Medicare-eligible physician or facility that wishes to participate. Each of the four new plans offer different benefits tailored to meet the diverse needs of Medicare beneficiaries. (more)
 Oct 2WellCare® Wins Bid in Every Region for 2007 and Introduces Classic Plan With Lower Plan Premiums
 Zero-Premium Medicare Prescription Drug Plans Available to Eligible Low-Income Subsidy Members Nationwide; Popular Plan with $0 Generic and No Deductible Has Lower Brand Co-Pays in '07
 TAMPA, FL - October 2, 2006 - WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG) today announced the results of its bid for participation in the national Medicare Part D prescription drug plan (PDP) business in 2007. WellCare will offer PDPs at no premium for qualified Low-Income Subsidy (LIS) eligible members in every region of the country. This allows WellCare's current LIS-eligible members who remain eligible in 2007 to continue their zero premium coverage with WellCare. Additionally, WellCare is eligible in every region to receive auto-assignment of beneficiaries who are dual-eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid. (more)
Sep 29WellCare® Wins Bid in Every Region for 2007
 Zero-Premium Medicare Prescription Drug Plans Available to Eligible Low-Income Subsidy Members Nationwide
 TAMPA, FL - September 29, 2006 - WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG) today announced the results of its bid for participation in the national Medicare Part D prescription drug plan (PDP) business in 2007. WellCare will offer PDPs at no premium for qualified Low-Income Subsidy (LIS) eligible members in every region of the country. This allows WellCare's current LIS-eligible members who remain eligible in 2007 to continue their zero premium coverage with WellCare. Additionally, WellCare is eligible in every region to receive auto-assignment of beneficiaries who are dual-eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid. (more)
Aug 11Harmony Health Plan Expands Into Missouri with MC+ Managed Care Service
 MC+ Managed Care members in Eastsern Region can choose Harmony Health Plan and receive addtional Benefits
 TAMPA, FL - August 11, 2006 - Harmony Health Plan, part of the WellCare family of health plans, announced that it began offering MC+ Managed Care coverage in the Eastern Region of Missouri. All 198,000 current members of MC+ Managed Care in the ten-county region are now eligible for enrollment in Harmony Health Plan. (more)