PacifiCare Health Systems to Acquire Seattle Medical Group

PacifiCare Health Systems Inc. said Wednesday that it will acquire Pacific Health Plans, the health-care management unit of Pacific Medical Center and Clinics.

Seattle-based Pacific Health has 33,000 members, PacifiCare said. The company, based in Cypress, did not disclose terms of the acquisition, which will boost the prepaid membership of PacifiCare’s Washington state health-care management company to more than 87,000.

PacifiCare’s president and chief executive, Alan Hoops, said the acquisition is part of the company’s strategy to “strengthen our presence in existing markets.”

PacifiCare said last month that it plans to expand its total enrollment to 1.6 million members in 1995, from 1.4 million as of Dec. 31.

The company operates managed-care services for employer groups and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries in California, Florida, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas and Washington.