WellPoint Inc., which operates in Illinois as UniCare, said it will exit Illinois and Texas, where it has about 400,000 members, in an effort to focus on its other U.S. operations. WellPoint said the subsidiary is profitable, but "there are competitive pressures in Illinois and Texas that have made it increasingly difficult for UniCare to offer quality products that are competitively priced." WellPoint said its Illinois UniCare customers would be guaranteed coverage if they transition to Health Care Service Corp., parent of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois.
