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Focuses on a deal by WellPoint to buy the owner of Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield in New York. How WellPoint has become the nation's largest health insurer by acquiring state Blue Cross providers; Reputation of Blue Cross as one of the premier brands in health insurance; Details of the agreement; Why future deals with Blue Cross in other states may be much harder to come by; How the remaining plans that WellPoint does not own or has not agreed to acquire are all nonprofit organizations; Background on WellPoint, which was created through the merger of WellPoint Health Networks and Anthem; Comments of Larry Glasscock, WellPoint's chief executive.

Reports that UnitedHealth Group, the nation's second-largest health insurer, has agreed to buy PacifiCare Health Systems. Implications of the merger, which would push UnitedHealth Group into the rapidly growing Medicare market; Views of UnitedHealth's chief executive, Dr. William McGuire; Overview of the deal; Backgrounds on the two companies, Views of Wall Street analysts; Outlook for UnitedHealth gaining an array of services for the rapidly growing Medicare population; Role of McGuire in expanding his company through acquisitions.

The article reports that ExpressScripts Inc. is having a proxy war in the pharmacy benefits industry to derail the pending acquisition of its rival company Caremark Rx Inc. by drugstore chain CVS Corp. The company plans to nominate four directors to the board of Caremark. Caremark board had rejected the takeover offer by ExpressScript. A combined Caremark-ExpressScript would make them the leaders in pharmacy benefits management. They act as middlemen between drug companies and health plans.

The article reports that Express Scripts Inc. is willing to engage itself in a proxy war to acquire its larger rival Caremark Rx Inc. and put an end to the pending merger of Caremark and CVS Corp. George Paz, chief executive of Express, in a letter to Edwin M. Crawford, chief executive of Caremark, mentioned that they wanted to work cooperatively with Caremark to complete a negotiated transaction. If they did not get cooperation, the matter would be taken directly to Caremark's shareholders.

Reports on the decision of Medco Health Solutions Inc. to buy Accredo Health in the U.S. Revenue expected by Medco in specialty drugs; Opportunity of the pharmacy benefits manager to sell more to employers and health plans that pay the bills; Contribution of a rich flow of new products from biotechnology companies to its growth.

Reports on the acquisition of Definity Health by the largest health insurance company, UnitedHealth Group Inc. (UHGI) in the U.S. Impact of the buy-out for the business of the UHGI; Growth of the company's reported earnings; Reason for the investment of the manage care firm into new fields.

Mentions how Anthem and WellPoint Health Networks won approval from California's insurance commissioner for their $16.4 billion merger in order to create the nation's largest insurer. Pledge of both companies to spend $265 million to help improve health services in the state; How the companies together will cover 28 million people in 10 states and Puerto Rico; Consideration of how the California commissioner John Garamendi blocked the deal at first on claims that it represented a payoff to company executives; Claims from the companies that they would not increase the premiums that members will pay.

Discusses the implications of a merger of health insurance company WellChoice and Oxford Health Plans. Advantages of the merger for WellChoice; Details of the proposed acquisition; Views of analysts; Possible concerns about the size of market share in New York; Outlook for the merger.

Reports on the proposed merger between U.S.-based health insurance companies WellPoint Health Networks and Anthem Inc. Details of the merger deal; Developments affecting the health insurance market; Background on the career of Leonard D. Schaeffer, CEO of WellPoint Health Networks.

Studies the merger of Blue Cross giants, with Anthem, Inc. buying WellPoint Health Networks for $16.4 billion in stock and cash. Creation of the nation's largest health insurer; Acquisition of Mid Atlantic Medical Services by rival industry leader UnitedHealth; Competition between the two giants for national employers; Conditions and concerns regarding the merger.

Discusses the possibility of a merger between drug benefit managers Caremark Rx and AdvancePCS. Suggestion that problems may arise from the narrowing of competition; Announcement that Caremark agreed to purchase Advance; How the merger will effect Caremark shares; Consideration of how disease management programs will promote new growth in revenues; Role of chief executives Mac Crawford and David D. Halbert; Losses in profits in drug benefit management.

Reports that Anthem Inc. announced that it was buying Trigon Healthcare Inc. of Virginia in cash and stock.

Reports on the acquisitions of two medical device makers. Purchase of C. R. Bard by Tyco International; Plans of Medtronic Inc. to buy MiniMed Inc. and Medical Research Group Inc.; Analysis of the companies' stocks; Reasons for consolidation within the medical device industry.

Discusses Aetna, the largest health care insurer in the United States as of summer 2000. Management of William H. Donaldson, chairman and chief executive since February; Decline in the company's stock price; Details of the sale of Aetna's financial services and international business to ING Group of Amsterdam.

Reports Aetna Inc.'s March 1, 2000 acknowledgment of a purchase offer from ING America Insurance Holdings and WellPoint Health Networks. Value of the cash and stock offer; Role of stockholder pressure and the stock's price in the late February 2000 replacement of Aetna's chief executive; Stock price response, and suspension of trading in the stock; Appointment of William H. Donaldson as chief executive; Details.

Reports the February 14, 2000 agreement of Healtheon/WebMD to buy two competitors, the Medical Manager Corporation and CareInsite Inc. Value of the stock deal; Potential nonmedical cost saving of Healtheon's goal to connect doctors, patients and insurers online; Analysis of the deal; Stock price responses.

Reports Aetna Inc.'s agreement to buy Prudential Health Care from the Prudential Insurance Company of America. Price; Number of customers and health maintenance organizations that will be part of the largest United States managed-care company; Aetna's reputation as the most stringent of US managed-care companies; Doctors' reservations about the move; Discussions at a meeting of the American Medical Association.

Focuses on the announcement by Medtronic Inc. that it would buy Arterial Vascular Engineering Inc. Purchase price; Services and products by each company; Views of William W. George, chief executive of Medtronic, which is based in Minneapolis, Minnesota; Forecasting for both companies.

Reports Medtronic Inc.'s agreement to buy Sofamor Danek Group. Value of the stock deal, which would double Medtronic's stake in devices for brain and spine surgery; Sofamor Danek revenues and market share; Impact on Sofamor Danek's stock price; Comments from analysts.

Reports on the expected completion of the purchase of Prudential Health Care by Aetna Inc. Assets reported by Aetna in 1999; Projected earning to be added at Aetna; Information on Prudential.

Reports on the plan of Healtheon Corporation to buy WebMD Inc. Stock deal value of the purchase; Amount pledged by Microsoft in advertising in the combined company; Services provided by Healtheon.

Focuses on the merger trend in the United States health insurance industry. Questions about the cost and availability of care to patients and their employers; Concern of doctors and hospitals; Aetna's December 1998 agreement to buy Prudential Health Care; Overview of the trend; Details of how 18 US companies became six in four years; Comments from American Medical Association officials, industry analysts and others.

Deals with the mergers of health maintenance organizations (HMO) in the United States. Agreement of Aetna Inc. to buy the Prudential Health Care unit of the Prudential Insurance Co. of America; Financial losses of Kaiser Permanente company; Implications of the rise in insurance premiums.

Announces that Cardinal Health Inc. would buy Allegiance Corp., a hospital supply company. Value of the acquisition deal; Information on Allegiance; Terms under the acquisition deal.

Reports that United Healthcare Corp. has agreed to buy Humana Inc. Purchase price; Shrinking number of competitors in the United States healthcare industry; Impact of the choices of healthcare consumers in South Florida, Chicago and the Midwest; Terms of the all-stock deal.

Reports that following Wellpoint Health Networks Incorporated's failure to takeover Health Systems International Incorporated, it has decided to buy Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company's life and health insurance unit. Benefits of the merger; Value of deal; Expected merger with Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance Company; Remarks from Wellpoint's chairman, Leonard Schaeffer.

Reports that Wellpoint Health Networks and Health Systems International are discussing mutual termination of an agreement to create a health care company with $6 billion annual revenues. Merger deals by Health Corporation and FHP International Corporation for Health Systems; Companies to pursue other merger deals; Obligations to Gary Mendoza.

Reports on the agreement made by Medpartners/Mullikin Incorporated in December 1995, to acquire Pacific Physician Services Incorporated. Outline of the transaction; Other health services mergers; Comments from Lawrence Marsh, analyst with Wheat First Securities.

Reports that the Ivax Corporation and Hafslund Nycomed A.S. of Norway agreed to a merger that could create a generic drug company. Combined annual sales; Contents of the agreement; Stock.

Reports that Anthem Inc., an insurance holding company based in the Midwest, has confirmed its plans to acquire Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Connecticut for its Anthem East unit. Part of the company's strategy to gain health-care market share in the New York area.

Reports that on November 14, 1996, Attorney General Dan Morales of Texas filed a suit seeking to stop the merger of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas with Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Illinois. When the merger plan was announced; Merger subject to the approval of insurance regulators in Texas and Illinois.

Reports on the expansion of home health care and specialized nursing home company Integrated Health Services Inc. Purchase of home-care firm Coram Healthcare; Specialized services; Financial performance; Plans to acquire home care firm First American Health Care of Georgia Inc.

Reports that Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Connecticut has made an agreement to merge with insurance company, Anthem Incorporated. Merger given approval by state regulators; How Anthem will benefit from the merger.

Reports on the deal by Hoechst A.G. on May 4, 1995 to buy Marion Merrell Dow Incorporated. Significance of the deal; Post-deal position of Dow and Hoechst; Business information of Dow Chemical Company; Post-deal executive positioning in Hoechst.

Discusses the proposed acquisition of Choice Care Corporation by Humana Incorporated, with reference to Humana's agreement to purchase Physician Corporation of America. Details on the acquisition; Details on its significance; Objectives of Humana; Performance of Humana's stock on the New York Stock Exchange.

Reports that Vivra Incorporated, a chain of kidney-dialysis centers in the United States, will be purchased by Incentive A.B., a holding company in Sweden. Performance of Vivra's stocks; Plans of Incentive; Comments from Margo Vignola, a health care analyst with Merrill Lynch.

Reports that Columbia/HCA Healthcare Corporation announced its decision on April 15, 1997, to pay $1.12 billion in cash for Value Health Incorporated. Information on the operations of both healthcare institutions; Terms of the acquisition; How both companies stocks performed on the New York Stock Exchange on April 15, 1997.

States that Integrated Health Services Incorporated called off its latest offer to acquire Coram Healthcare Corporation. Reason acquisition was called off; Monetary size of latest acquisition; Rise in stock value of Integrated Health, for April 7th, 1997; Comments from Margo Vignola, a health care securities analyst with Merrill Lynch.

Focuses on the planned purchase of Healthsource Incorporated by Cigna Corporation. Details on the purchase; Impact of this move on both companies; Information on both companies; Views of analysts on the purchase; Comments from chief executive of Cigna, Wilson Taylor.

Reports that KLA Instruments is to acquire Tencor Instruments in a tax-free stock swap. What the swap is valued at; Specialization of the two companies in measurements and inspection systems; Deal to create KLA-Tencor; Earnings of KLA in 1995.

Reports on the merger between the two medical device companies, the Boston Scientific Corporation and Scimed Life Systems Incorporated. Details of the deal.

Reports on the planned merger of National Medical Enterprises, American Medical Holdings and Healthtrust. Effect of merger news on trading of shares of three firms; Compensations given by National Medical Enterprises to settle charges of legal malpractice.

Focuses on the industrial consolidation efforts of Johnson & Johnson. Details of deals by Johnson & Johnson regarding Eastman Kodak's diagnostic products and acquisition of Neutrogena Corporation; Effect of acquisition on Johnson's sales; Details of Johnson's foray in hospital supply business; Information on financial arrangements for Neutrogena's acquisition by Johnson.

Reports that American Cyanamid Company yielded reluctantly to a sweetened offer of $9.7 billion from American Home Products Corporation and became the latest drug company to be swallowed up in the consolidation sweeping the health-care industry. How the partners compare. (Also a short item on page A1.)

Discusses the wave of mergers and alliances that is transforming the nation's trillion-dollar health care system. Goal of the mergers; Concerns; Potential losers; List of the biggest deals.

Says that Sandoz Ltd., the big Swiss drug and chemicals company, agreed to buy the Gerber Products Company for $3.7 billion in cash. Gerber hurt by declining American birth rates; High chairs and high finance.

Reports that SmithKline Beecham agreed to buy Diversified Pharmaceutical Services, and Pfizer Inc. agreed to create a jointly owned managed health care unit with Value Health Inc.--moves that will help the two drug makers to compete in the evolving environment of lower-priced drugs. The deals.

Informs that Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Jersey has agreed to merge with Anthem Inc., a big, diversified Midwestern insurer. The merger to create the United States' second-largest holder of Blue Cross and Blue Shield franchises; The effect which the merger will have on New Jersey's fiercely competitive health-insurance market; Financial statistics on the combined company.

Tells that New Jersey Blue Cross and Blue Shield has agreed to join forces with a big Midwestern company, the Anthem Group. Question of whether New Jersey Blue Cross, a non-profit entity, will become a for-profit enterprise; What such a change would mean; Mergers, acquisitions and alliances involving other Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans in the United States; Financial benefits these deals bring to the Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans.

Reports on the merger of two companies which manage United States physicians' practices. Merger of Medpartners/Mullikin Inc. with Caremark International Inc., in a $2.34 billion stock-swap; The new name, Medpartners Inc.; The number of contracted physicians; Doctors' use of such companies in order to regain income and independence; Features of these management companies, and how they manage the doctors' offices.