WellCare Health Plans recently completed the acquisition of Care1st Health Plan Arizona and One Care by Care1st Health Plan of Arizona.

Both companies had been subsidiaries of Care1st Health Plan, a Blue Shield of California affiliate. They cover 115,000 Medicaid and Medicare customers in Maricopa and Pima counties.

"We are pleased to announce the completion of this acquisition and welcome Care1st Arizona to our family of health plans," Ken Burdick, WellCare's chief executive officer, said. "This acquisition marks our entrance into our eleventh Medicaid state, further geographically diversifying our business in an attractive market."

Upon completion of the acquisition, Scott Cummings was named WellCare's president of Arizona operations. He will manage numerous aspects of the company's Medicaid and Medicare Advantage businesses across the state.

"I spent nearly 10 years leading the Care1st Arizona business and am excited to join WellCare, which shares our strong commitment to delivering high-quality care for Medicaid and Medicare beneficiaries," Cummings said. "We will continue to support our members' health care needs through our integrated, community-oriented approach."

Kelly Munson, executive vice president of WellCare's Medicaid business, said Cummings, who previously served as chief administrative officer for Care1st Arizona, is ideal for the president's role.

"I expect his leadership to contribute significantly to our efforts to work in partnership with providers and the state to deliver quality health care and service for Arizonans," she said.