Michigan-based Priority Health plans to expand into Northern Indiana and Ohio through acquisition

Expanding from its home base in Michigan, Priority Health today announced the acquisition of Physicians Health Plan of Northern Indiana, a Fort Wayne, Indiana-based health plan with 52,000 members in Indiana and Ohio.

Both organizations expect the transaction to be completed by the end of 2024, once the necessary approvals are received, a press release said today.

Proceeds from the transaction will go to the PHP Foundation in Fort Wayne. The Physicians Health Plan of Northern Indiana website says the foundation provides grants to tax-exempt private agencies and public charities. Those grants have totaled more than $10 million over the past 15 years.

Priority Health, a not-for-profit health insurance plan based in Grand Rapids, is the second-largest health insurer in Michigan by membership, with 1.3 million members. The largest is Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, with more than 5 million members.

Praveen Thadani, MS, MPH

Praveen Thadani, MS, MPH, president of Priority Health, said in the press release that the acquisition will “simplify and improve the experience” of members who live near the borders of Indiana and Ohio. The northern parts of those states border the southern part of Michigan.

“Joining Priority Health has great potential to provide additional resources and innovation to Physicians Health Plan of Northern Indiana (PHPNI) customers and members. We expect this transaction to benefit the communities and businesses we serve,” said Gary Shearer, PHPNI president and CEO, in the same press release.