WebMD agreed to acquire ViPS, a Baltimore-based provider of information technology and clinical decision support services to health plans and state and federal governments, in a cash deal valued at $160 million including assumption of some liabilities. Customers include the CMS and 65% of the nation's Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans. The company develops databases and computerized tools for managing disease conditions, measuring the performance of providers and detecting healthcare fraud. WebMD said the acquisition will enable the Elmwood Park, N.J.-based company to add health management services to the administrative and financial processing services it already offers to facilitate the claims adjudication and payment process. The deal is expected to close within 30 days, subject to regulatory approvals.
In other IT acquisitions, ChartOne of San Jose, Calif., entered into an agreement to acquire InterTech Information Management of Alpharetta, Ga., which does business as eWebHealth. Terms were not disclosed. ChartOne manages patient chart completion, coding and other issues associated with improving the healthcare billing process and releasing information to authorized entities. It has more than 1,000 customers, the company said. InterTech's eWebHealth services provide a Web-based hub for hospitals and clinics to scan, store and retrieve medical-record information. The company has nearly 250 customers. -- by John Morrissey
