Anthem, Inc., has completed its acquisition of America's 1st Choice, a privatelyheld, forprofit Medicare Advantage organization that offers HMO products, including chronic special needs plans ("C-SNPs") and dual-eligible special needs plans, under its Freedom Health and Optimum brands in Florida. The company also operates America's 1st Choice of South Carolina.

"America's 1st Choice shares Anthem's ambition to make a difference in health care for Medicare Advantage consumers as well as for those who have special health needs," said Gail K. Boudreaux, the president and chief executive officer of Anthem. "We know that these individuals want high quality plans with support services to help them lead healthier, full lives. America's 1st Choice has become one of the leading Medicare Advantage organizations in Florida by offering a well-regarded provider-focused health care model that has resulted in strong growth among Medicare Advantage and highly complex populations with special needs. We look forward to working with our America's 1st Choice colleagues and are very proud that Anthem will now be the only publicly traded company to offer five 5-star plans as part of its portfolio."

America's 1st Choice currently serves approximately 130,000 Medicare consumers in 25 counties in Florida and three counties in South Carolina. America's 1st Choice will operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Anthem, and its associates will join Anthem's government business division, Anthem said in a statement.

"We are excited to be joining Anthem because of the shared commitment to making health care more accessible and affordable to those who need it most," said Rupesh Shah, chief executive officer of America's 1st Choice. "As part of Anthem, we are positioned to help create the health care system of the future."

With the addition of America's 1st Choice, Anthem's affiliated Medicare and Medicaid plans now serve more than 780,000 consumers in Florida. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed, and the transaction is expected to be slightly accretive to earnings in 2018, Anthem said.