Insurer WellCare Health Plans, Tampa, Fla., closed on a previously announced deal to acquire the South Carolina Medicaid business of UnitedHealth Group for undisclosed terms. The South Carolina Department of Insurance (PDF) valued the company at $27 million in approving the deal.

WellCare also announced managers for the business, naming Dave Shafer as state president, South Carolina, and Kathy Warner as state chief operating officer, South Carolina.

Shafer previously was a consultant for Providias and has previous experience at Principal Financial Group, Cigna Corp. and UnitedHealth Group, according to WellCare, while Warner was vice president of field network management for WellCare in Georgia.

On Jan. 22, WellCare announced that it had agreed to buy Missouri Care, a Missouri Medicaid provider owned by Aetna, for undisclosed terms.