Filed by: Anthem, Inc.
Pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act of 1933
and deemed filed pursuant to Rule 14a-6
of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934
Subject Company: Trigon Healthcare, Inc.
Commission File Number for the Related Registration Statement: 333-88776
On June 25, 2002, Anthem, Inc. provided the following transition update through its intranet to its associates about the proposed merger.
The Transition Update
No. 5, June 25, 2002
In This Issue:
o | Proxy information mailed to shareholders |
o | Transition teams focus on the future, while Trigon continues to make strides today |
o | Transition team update |
o | What Trigon's hearing from their members |
o | Questions and answers about the transition |
o | Transition fun facts |
Proxy information mailed to shareholders
A definitive joint proxy statement/prospectus was mailed to Anthem and Trigon shareholders the week of June 10.
Shareholders with any questions about the merger and related transactions should call Georgeson Shareholder Communications, Inc. The toll-free phone number is 1-866-811-4117.
Shareholders with questions about their Anthem stock should call toll-free Anthems transfer agent, Equiserve at 1-866-299-9628.
Shareholders with questions about their Trigon stock should call toll-free Trigons transfer agent, National City Bank at 1-800-619-1697.
Transition teams focus on the future, while Trigon continues to make strides today
While most of us continue to focus on serving members and providers, a sizeable group of Trigon employees and Anthem associates dove right into planning the merger of these two high-performing companies.
It's a huge undertaking.
From business cards to medical policy to information systems, there are thousands of decisions and recommendations to make, and they typically are being made among people who didnt even know each other until a few weeks ago.
Many Trigon transition team members have made the trip to Anthem headquarters in Indianapolis and other Anthem plans. A number of Anthem associates also have made the trip to Trigon headquarters in Richmond.
Fifteen transition teams with co-leaders from each company hold weekly meetings to develop transition plans for their areas of both companies. Dozens of subteams are in daily contact to help develop the same plans. In addition, the Executive Steering Committee meets weekly with various transition team leaders as they identify best practices in order to develop and recommend plans to bring the two organizations together. Roughly 80 people from both Anthem and Trigon are involved in transition planning; meaning more than 160 people in at least two different time zones are synching up calendars and scheduling phone conferences to keep transition planning on track.
Thats a lot of impressive work. Just as impressive is that a number of Trigons key customer service metrics have never been higher despite transition activities.
For example, Service Operations is answering phone calls from customers and providers substantially faster than the same time last year. Trigon continues to receive more than 2 million claims every month. Through continued focus on automation, processing is being completed faster than last year while maintaining a financial accuracy rate of between 98 and 99 percent. These and other consistently strong service results have helped produce impressive levels of customer satisfaction.
Please congratulate our partners at Trigon for staying focused on today while planning for tomorrow.
Transition team update - Information Technology team identifies cost savings
As the Anthem-Trigon transition teams move forward investigating opportunities for cost-savings and efficiencies, one area that shows promise is information technology vendor procurement. By leveraging Anthems size and negotiated pricing, early results indicate that Trigon may be able to save on most IT vendor contracts and PC purchases. The teams are working with vendors to begin realizing these savings as soon as possible, while also investigating other ways for Trigon to leverage Anthems buying power.
The information technology team and the other transition teams continue to identify ways best practices can result in additional savings. The Transition Update will keep you informed about this process.
What Trigons hearing from its members
Trigon opened a toll-free number shortly after the merger was announced and included the phone number in a mailing to members introducing the merger. Since early May, Trigon has received fewer than 500 calls from members. Trigon serves 2.2 million members in Virginia.
The first few days after the merger, the phone line was staffed by about half a
dozen employees from throughout the company who took turns fielding
approximately 100 merger-related calls a week. That number has slowed to about
25 a week now, according
to Liz Perry, director of executive inquiry and
corporate appeals at Trigon. Perry and others in her department are now
answering caller questions.
Members mostly want to know if things are going to change, and we tell
them they wont notice any change and well still be here in Virginia
to serve Virginians, Perry said.
Questions & Answers
An important function of The Transition Update is to answer questions
submitted from people at Trigon and Anthem. We anticipate getting a wide variety
of questions, some that apply to Trigon only, some that are geared toward Anthem
and others that apply to both. Therefore, the Questions & Answers section of
The Transition Update will reflect those questions that are relevant to the given
audience.
No Anthem questions this week.
What would you like to know about the transition? Contact Monica Kendrick via
Lotus Notes if you have questions.
Transition Fun Facts
Did you know?
Build on what you learned
last week. Below are some more fun facts about the states where we do business.
Give us your feedback
The Transition Update is a regular online newsletter for all Trigon employees
and Anthem associates designed to keep you informed during the transition.
If you have a story idea or question, contact Monica Kendrick via e-mail, phone
(317) 488-6250.
SAFE HARBOR STATEMENT UNDER THE PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995
This newsletter contains certain forward-looking information about Anthem, Inc.
(Anthem) and the combined company after completion of the
transactions that are intended to be covered by the safe harbor for
forward-looking statements provided by the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are statements that
are not historical facts. Words such as expect(s)",
feel(s)", believe(s)", will, may,
anticipate(s) and similar expressions are intended to identify
forward-looking statements. These statements include, but are not limited to,
financial projections and estimates and their underlying assumptions; statements
regarding plans, objectives and expectations with respect to future operations,
products and services; and statements regarding future performance. Such
statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, many of which are
difficult to predict and generally beyond the control of Anthem, that could
cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied or
projected by, the forward-looking information and statements. These risks and
uncertainties include: those discussed and identified in public filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) made by Anthem; trends in
health care costs and utilization rates; our ability to secure sufficient
premium rate increases; competitor pricing below market trends of increasing
costs; increased government regulation of health benefits and managed care;
significant acquisitions or divestitures by major competitors; introduction and
utilization of new prescription drugs and technology; a downgrade in our
financial strength ratings; litigation targeted at health benefits companies;
our ability to contract with providers consistent with past practice; our
ability to consummate Anthems acquisition of Trigon Heathcare, Inc.
(Trigon), to achieve expected synergies and operating efficiencies
in the Trigon acquisition and to successfully integrate our operations; our
expectations regarding the timing, completion and accounting and tax treatments
of the transactions and the value of the transaction consideration; and general
economic downturns. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these
forward-looking statements that speak only as of the date hereof. Anthem does
not undertake any obligation to republish revised forward-looking statements to
reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the
occurrence of unanticipated events. You are also urged to carefully review and
consider the various disclosures in Anthems various SEC filings, including
but not limited to the registration statement on Form S-4, including the joint
proxy statement/prospectus constituting a part thereof, filed by Anthem on June
7, 2002 and first mailed to Anthem shareholders on or about June 12, 2002,
Anthems Annual Reports on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2001,
and Anthems Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended
March 31, 2002.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND WHERE TO FIND IT
This newsletter may be deemed to be solicitation material in respect of
Anthems proposed merger with Trigon. On June 7, 2002, Anthem filed a
registration statement on Form S-4, including a joint proxy statement/prospectus
constituting a part thereof, with the SEC in connection with the proposed
merger. The joint proxy statement/prospectus was first mailed to Anthem
shareholders on or about June 12, 2002. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS OF
ANTHEM ARE URGED TO READ THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT, INCLUDING THE DEFINITIVE
JOINT PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS CONSTITUTING A PART THEREOF, AND ANY OTHER
RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED OR THAT WILL BE FILED WITH THE SEC, AS THEY BECOME
AVAILABLE, BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN OR WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION.
Investors and security holders of Anthem may obtain the registration statement,
including the joint proxy statement/prospectus constituting a part thereof, and
any other documents filed by Anthem with the SEC for free at the SECs web
site, www.sec.gov, and Anthem shareholders may obtain such documents for free
from Anthem Investor Relations at 120 Monument Circle, Indianapolis, IN
46204-4903.
PARTICIPANTS IN SOLICITATION
Anthem, its directors and executive officers, other members of its management
and certain of its employees may be deemed to be participants in the
solicitation of proxies with respect to the proposed merger. Information
concerning Anthems participants in the solicitation of proxies and their
direct and indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, is set forth
in the registration statement, including the joint proxy statement/prospectus
constituting a part thereof. Additional information regarding the interests of
Anthems directors and executive officers in the proposed merger are set
forth in the registration statement, including the joint proxy
statement/prospectus constituting a part thereof that was first mailed to Anthem
shareholders on or about June 12, 2002.
Virginia
Indiana
Kentucky
State Flower
American Dogwood
Peony
Goldenrod
State Song
Virginia is without a
state song at this time.On the Banks of the Wabash, Far Away
My Old Kentucky Home
Ohio
Connecticut
New Hampshire
State Flower
Scarlet Carnation
Mountain Laurel
Purple Lilac
State Song
Beautiful Ohio
Yankee Doodle
Old New Hampshire and
New New Hampshire,
My New Hampshire
Colorado
Nevada
Maine
State Flower
Rocky Mountain Columbine
Sagebrush
White Pine cone and tassel
State Song
Where the Columbines
GrowHome Means Nevada
State of Maine Song