The Biggest Deals of 2016

It’s been a busy year for healthcare deal making. As of December 2, the combined total spending was $239.1 billion, going to finance 1,419 transactions. That’s 40% behind the $400 billion spent in all of 2015, but just 7% behind last year’s deal volume of 1,520 deals. Thirty-six deals of $1.0 billion or higher have been announced to date in 2016, with a current total of $184.2 billion. These deals comprise 77% of spending so far, and no doubt there will be a few more before New Year’s Eve. By comparison, 2015 ended with a combined total spending of $400.6 billion on 1,520 transactions. Fifty-two of those transactions reported spending of $1.0 billion or higher, for... Read More »

What U.S. Hospitals Are Acquiring in 2016

Hospital acquisitions have surged since the Affordable Care Act was passed in 2010. That year, 76 deals were announced, with a U.S. hospital or health system as a target. By 2012, 107 transactions were recorded for hospital targets, and that still stands as the highest number of deals per year. Only 2015 came close, with 102 hospital transactions. Through mid-November, there have been 79 deals announced with U.S. hospitals or health systems as the target. But what are U.S. hospitals acquiring for their own financial health? Other hospitals or health systems make up the majority of targets every year, of course.  So far this year, through mid November, 66 transactions... Read More »

October M and A Settles into Second Place

What’s a synonym for “slowdown?” We’re as tired of writing about monthly deal volume dropping off as you probably are of reading about it. But M&A activity in October 2016 can only be summed up as slackening, declining, decelerating. Preliminary deal volume is now at the second-lowest level of the year, just 112 transactions. Only January’s deal volume was lower, at 104 transactions. We may have a few additions to October’s total as the fourth quarter grinds on, but it’s not typical to find another 15 deals. Deal value also dropped off. At $12.8 billion, it ranks as the second-lowest level of spending for the year. July 2016 still holds the honor of being the slowest month for... Read More »

Acadia Healthcare Tidies Up Its UK Portfolio

With three announced acquisitions on the books in 2016, Acadia Healthcare Company (NASDAQ: ACHC) was forced to sell some of its portfolio, for a change. The Franklin, Tennessee-based behavioral health company has been quite active over in the United Kingdom since 2014, when it acquired Partnerships in Care (PiC) for $662 million.At the time, PiC was the second largest independent provider of behavioral healthcare services in the United Kingdom, operating 23 inpatient psychiatric facilities with more than 1,200 beds. The sale worked out to 2.3x price-to-revenue and 8.8x price-to-EBITDA. In 2015, Acadia added Care UK, Choice Lifestyles and The Manor Clinic. Care UK operates 15 inpatient... Read More »

Q3:16 Health Care M&A Results: Context Is Everything

Brace yourself. The third quarter results for health care mergers and acquisitions  signal a hard tap on the brakes, both in deal volume and value. That’s compared with the robust second quarter, and the same quarter a year ago. Before we go any further, though, we must note that, compared with all previous third quarters stretching back to 2000, the third quarter of 2016 doesn’t look that bad. Some 369 transactions are now on the books for Q3:16, which ranks this quarter as the second-highest in deal volume for any previous third quarter. The top-ranked third quarter, coincidently, came a year ago, when Q3:15 racked up 411 transactions. So Q3:16’s deal volume slid 10% compared with the... Read More »

Specialty Pharmacy Extends Reach in Healthcare

Genoa, a QoL Healthcare Company, a leading behavioral health specialty pharmacy company, has acquired the behavioral health and residential care services division of Advanced Care Pharmacy Services, including 13 of its pharmacies in Michigan. Genoa is a portfolio company of Advent International. In November 2015, Genoa acquired 1DocWay, the nation’s largest outpatient telepsychiatry provider, for an undisclosed price. Advanced Care Pharmacy Services is a privately-held Alabama-based provider of specialized pharmacy services for a variety of care settings. Genoa’s purchase, which did not disclose a price, increases its number of Michigan-based pharmacies to 24, and 325 nationally.... Read More »