PacifiCare, Freedom Plan Alliance OKd

PacifiCare of California, a provider of managed health care, said Wednesday it has received state approval to form an alliance with Freedom Plan.

Under the alliance, PacifiCare will pay an undisclosed sum to assume Freedom’s broker and employer contracts in Santa Barbara, where Freedom is based, and in southern San Luis Obispo and northern Ventura counties.

PacifiCare members will have access to Freedom’s network of 460 doctors and 11 hospitals. When contracts come up for renewal, Freedom Plan’s 14,000 members will be able to sign on as PacifiCare members and get access to the benefits of its larger network.

PacifiCare, which is based in Cypress, has more than 800,000 members in California.