HEALTH CARE : PacifiCare to Set Up Secure Horizons Plan in New England Area

PacifiCare Health Systems Inc. in Cypress just inked a deal with Tufts Associated Health Plans Inc. in Massachusetts to establish its Secure Horizons Medicare program in New England.

Though the licensing agreement still needs official approval by the federal Health Care Financing Administration, the agency that oversees such programs since the company uses federal funds, officials at PacifiCare estimate that Tufts could be signing up elderly Medicare recipients in the Boston area by late next year.

Eventually, PacifiCare said its Secure Horizons plan would be available to all Medicare recipients throughout the six New England states.

Chief Executive Alan Hoops said he was pleased with the pending agreement.

“We’re excited about working with Tufts,” Hoops said. “They’re an outstanding organization and we look forward to a long relationship together in providing quality health care services.”

Privately held Tufts Associated Health Plans, with 300,000 members, is affiliated with Tufts University Medical School in Boston, a nationally renowned teaching and research institute. The deal gives PacifiCare a strong inroad into New England, where it hopes Tufts’ reputation will guarantee strong membership, said Eleanor H. Kerns, a health care analyst with the brokerage Alex. Brown & Sons Inc. in Boston.

“Tufts is a very fine HMO here and enjoys a good reputation,” Kerns said.

The move would also pull PacifiCare closer to FHP International Inc.’s position as the largest provider of managed-care benefits to Medicare patients in the nation with 305,000 patients over the age of 64.

Secure Horizons now serves about 285,000 members in four states.