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New York (dpa) - The United States' fifth-largest health insurance company, Anthem Inc., will acquire Well Point Health Networks Inc. for 16.4 billion dollars, the companies said Monday, creating a health insurance giant with 26 million customers and 40,000 employees.
Anthem offers health insurance in nine U.S. states and Washington, DC, while WellPoint operates in California, Georgia and Missouri. The acquisition will create the largest U.S. health insurer.
Anthem offered one share for each share of WellPoint as well as 23.80 dollars in cash per share.
In another acquisition, current leader UnitedHealth Group said it will pay nearly 3 billion dollars to buy Mid Atlantic Medical Services.
Investors with Mid Atlantic get 18 dollars a share in cash and 0.82 UnitedHealth shares for each Mid Atlantic share.
Copyright 2003 dpa Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH
