The New York State Department of Financial Services approved an affiliation between Pittsburgh-based Highmark Health and Buffalo-based HealthNow New York, according to a Feb. 24 news release.
HealthNow's director of corporate relations told Buffalo Business First that in the coming weeks the companies expect to move ahead with additional legal filings needed to complete the deal.
The approval is subject to conditions that concern employee job protections and a $10 million commitment to improve racial and health inequities in HealthNow's markets.
The affiliation was announced in June 2020. Under the affiliation agreement, Highmark will become the primary licensee of HealthNow, which includes BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York and BlueShield of Northeastern New York.