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The MACRA Effect Keeps Building

by | Mar 23, 2017 2:55 pm | Managed Care, Physician Medical Groups, Private Equity

Last year, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services asked for comments and then rolled out the final rules on the implementation of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA). Many industry observers predicted the rules would drive the majority of independent physician practices “right into the arms” of a local hospital, health system or other entity. Those predictions appear to be true. As of mid-March 2017, 46 acquisitions of physician practices have been announced, a 105% increase from the same period a year ago. Only one of the deals disclosed a price,  Optum’s (NYSE: UNH) $3.3 billion acquisition of Surgical Care Affiliates Inc. (NASDAQ:... Read More »
Air Methods Corp. Flies to American Securities

Air Methods Corp. Flies to American Securities

by | Mar 17, 2017 4:44 pm | Hospitals, Other Services, Private Equity

Air Methods Corporation (NASDAQ: AIRM), a global air medical transportation company, has been on the acquisition trail since the late 1990s, announcing 12 deals targeting smaller air ambulance operators. Now it’s a takeover target itself, thanks to activist shareholder Voce Capital Management LLC. Voce Capital, and its managing director J. Daniel Plants, had been calling for Air Methods management to put the company on the block as far back as 2015. In February 2017, the investment firm launched a fight for four board seats and publicly criticized AIRM’s financial returns and “a multi-year syndrome of operational, strategic and governance failures.” Air Methods... Read More »

PE Firms Flock to Dermatology Deals

by | Mar 16, 2017 6:57 pm | Physician Medical Groups, Private Equity

Dermatology practices remain high on the list of healthcare sectors for private equity investors. Through mid-March, 2017, 12 deals targeting these practices have been announced by eight acquirers. All those acquirers are either private equity firms, or portfolio companies. Thanks to the private nature of these transactions, no financial terms have been publicly disclosed. Of the 17 dermatology deals announced in 2016, six acquirers were private equity firms and five were portfolio companies. Some big deals (even without disclosing prices) announced last year include Harvest Partners’ acquisition of Advanced Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery from Audax Group, in May... Read More »

Allergan Inks its Third Deal of the Year

by | Mar 15, 2017 6:26 pm | Pharmaceuticals

As of mid-March, Allergan (NYSE: AGN) has spent nearly $4 billion on three acquisitions in 2017. Although its $2.48 billion purchase of ZELTIQ® Aesthetics, Inc. accounts for most of that total, the pharmaceutical giant hasn’t failed to strengthen its several pipelines in the meantime. On January 9, 2017, it purchased global rights to Assembly Biosciences’ (NASDAQ: ASMB) preclinical compounds for $50 million upfront. The compounds include ABI-M201 and ABI-M301, for ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD), as well as two additional compounds to be identified by Assembly for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Then, on March 14, Allergan entered a strategic research and development... Read More »

Behavioral Health Care Posts 30% Increase in Deal Volume

by | Mar 14, 2017 6:54 pm | Behavioral Health Care

The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) of 2008, which was originally independent from the Affordable Care Act (ACA), requires health insurers and group plans that already offer mental illness coverage to provide the same level of benefits as they would for medical and surgical care. Beginning in 2014, the ACA extended the reach of the MHPAEA by requiring all qualified health plans offered through the health insurance marketplaces to include coverage for mental and addiction disorders as one of the 10 categories of Essential Health Benefits. It also states that the coverage must comply with the federal parity requirements set forth in the MHPAEA. The uncertainty... Read More »
Thermo Fisher Invests in Core Informatics

Thermo Fisher Invests in Core Informatics

by | Mar 10, 2017 7:33 pm | eHealth, Medical Devices

Even medical device companies now rely on digital health to maintain their competitive edge. On March 6, 2017, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE: TMO), maker of analytical instruments, equipment, reagents and consumables, software and services for research, moved into the eHealth space with its purchase of privately held Core Informatics. Financial terms were not disclosed. Thomas Loewald, senior vice president and chief commercial officer, Thermo Fisher Scientific, stated in a press release, “The scientific community is rapidly adopting cloud-based laboratory and scientific data management capabilities. Integrating the leading technologies of Core Informatics is part of our strategy to... Read More »

Hospital Transactions, 2012 to 2016

by | Mar 10, 2017 4:42 pm | Hospitals

Hospital merger and acquisition activity softened in 2016, as more transactions came in the form of joint operating ventures, affiliations or partnerships rather than long-term financial commitments. These deals represent safer financial territory than an outright commitment to a struggling facility. M&A transactions among larger hospitals and health systems are shifting to a more strategic focus, to gain market share, cost efficiencies and greater negotiating power. Deals involving small, standalone hospitals, however, are still driven largely by financial pressures. Health systems are also acquiring more pre- and post-acute care facilities and services, as well as physician medical... Read More »

Amedisys Adds Six Tenet Home Health Centers

by | Mar 10, 2017 3:46 pm | Home Health & Hospice

Shortly after reporting improved cash flow on its Q4:16 earnings call, Amedisys, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMED) went on a short spending spree. The company picked up six home health and hospice centers from Tenet Healthcare (NYSE: THC), located in Arizona, Illinois, Massachusetts and Texas.  No financial terms were disclosed. Despite potential headwinds from the Republicans’ proposed American Health Care Act (AHCA), still in the House of Representatives, the Home Health & Hospice sector is expected to see strong growth in the coming years. Baby boomers are aging, inevitably, and many are expected to attempt to age-in-place at home, boosting demand for these services. Amedisys’... Read More »