Press Release

By Mercy Health Plans
Released May 22, 2006

St. Louis-Based Medicaid Insurance Programs Announce Request to Merge

ST. LOUIS, MO (May 22, 2006) – Two St. Louis-area health programs serving the Medicaid population, Alliance for Community Health, LLC (d/b/a Community CarePlus) and Mercy Health Plans’ Mercy MC+, have announced a request to merge  their Medicaid operations, which would create the area’s second largest Medicaid insurance plan. Combined, the plans would serve a population of approximately 80,000 members in Eastern Missouri under the proposed name Mercy CarePlus. 

The merger plan was submitted for approval to the Missouri Department of Insurance and the Department of Social Services’ Division of Medical Services on May 16.  If it receives approval, the merger will be completed over the next few months. 

“Our purpose in pursuing this merger is to create a single organization that, by virtue of greater size and scope, offers opportunities to strengthen service to Medicaid members as well as leverage organizational efficiencies,” said Michael Murphy, president and CEO of Mercy Health Plans. “We anticipate significant synergies in key areas such as member services, contracting, claims processing and community outreach.”

“A combined organization would benefit from the collective experience and best practices of both our plans, ultimately delivering a better quality service to our members,” added Jerry Linder, president of Community CarePlus. “With our resources combined and committed to meeting the needs of the Medicaid community, we will be able to strengthen our ability to address their specific concerns,” he stated.

While Community CarePlus management is slated to provide leadership for the combined organization, Mercy Health Plans is also expected to continue to play a significant role in ongoing operations through representation at the board level.

About Community CarePlus

The Alliance for Community Health d/b/a Community CarePlus is a limited liability company created in 1995  with the exclusive focus of serving Medicaid-eligible Missourians.  Community CarePlus, headquartered in Creve Coeur, Missouri, serves approximately 38,000 Medicaid recipients in St. Louis City and 9 surrounding counties.  Community CarePlus’ network of participating healthcare partners includes 19 hospitals, 3,500 physicians and 110 ancillary providers.  

Community CarePlus is committed to positively impacting the lives of those who rely on Medicaid in Missouri by displaying the highest level of care, making Medicaid as easy to use as possible. For more information, visit communitycareplus.com.

About Mercy MC+ 

Mercy MC+ is part of Mercy Health Plans, a full-service Health Management Company providing a full range of HMO, PPO and POS benefit plans as well as Medicare, Medicaid and Individual Health Insurance.  Headquartered in Chesterfield, Missouri, Mercy Health Plans currently has operations in St. Louis, Springfield and mid-Missouri, as well as Laredo, Texas, and the State of Arkansas.  Mercy Health Plans is sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy Health System. For more information, visit www.mercyhealthplans.com.

Community CarePlus
Cris Cristea
314-432-9300