December 2016 Didn’t Deliver a Year-End Boost

by | Jan 13, 2017 4:37 pm | Behavioral Health Care, Biotechnology, eHealth, Home Health & Hospice, Hospitals, Laboratories, MRI & Dialysis, Medical Devices, Pharmaceuticals, Physician Medical Groups, Private Equity, Rehabilitation | 0 comments

The final month of the fourth quarter is typically a busy one for deal makers in all industries. Last year, some health care deal makers apparently got a rest. Deal volume in December 2016 was an anemic 119 transactions, compared with 131 deals in November and 148 in December 2015. The Services sectors accounted for 55% of the deals in December, which is on the low side. Consider that, in November, Services accounted for 69% of the month’s transactions, and even 70% of the total in December 2015. Spending on those deals reached $15.4 billion, a relatively modest amount until it is compared with November’s $8.7 billion total (+78%) and December 2015’s $12.3 billion total (+26%). Suddenly,... Read More »

Hospital Deals Dipped in 2016

by | Jan 6, 2017 1:39 am | Hospitals | 0 comments

What the Affordable Care Act gave to the hospital sector, in the form of millions of more insured patients, it slowly took away, in the form of declining inpatient visits and growing competition from freestanding emergency rooms, ambulatory surgery centers and urgent care clinics. The ACA’s beneficial effects were largely played out by the third quarter of 2015, and by 2016, the thrill was gone. Hospital M&A slid slightly in 2016, according to our preliminary year-end data. Eighty-nine hospital deals were announced, down 13% compared with 2015. Spending was far higher than a year ago, reaching nearly $14 billion, a figure 47% higher than 2015’s combined total of $9.5... Read More »

Universal Health Makes Another U.K. Purchase

by | Dec 8, 2016 4:57 pm | Behavioral Health Care | 0 comments

We’ve seen a lot of companies divesting non-core assets lately. Sometimes the reason is regulatory approval purposes, and other times the company simply wants to focus exclusively on a different business unit. In the latter case, Cambian Group plc (LSE: CMBN) is looking to expand its children services unit. Cambian Group provides specialist behavioral health services to adults and children in the United Kingdom. In December it announced it is divesting its adult services division, Cambian Adult Services Group. The division, which provides care to adults with mental health disorders, intellectual disabilities, autism, personality disorder and acquired brain conditions, consists of 81... Read More »

Universal Health Ups its UK Holdings

by | Aug 21, 2015 7:31 pm | Behavioral Health Care | 0 comments

The United Kingdom is still luring behavioral health buyers from the United States. Last week Universal Health Services (NYSE: UHS) picked up Alpha Hospitals Holdings Ltd., a privately held company, for an undisclosed price. Alpha operates four behavioral health hospitals with a combined total of 305 beds. It will be added to Universal’s London-based Cygnet Health Care group, which was acquired in September 2014 for $335 million. Cygnet came with 17 facilities, including 15 inpatient behavioral health hospitals (743 beds, total) and two nursing homes. Astute readers will recall that U.S. rival Acadia Healthcare Company (NASDAQ: ACHC) picked up The Manor Clinic, a 15-bed residential rehab... Read More »