Literature Review

Deal or No Deal: The futures of 3 home-based care companiesHome Health Care News; by Andrew Donlan; 3/21/24 Most buyers in home health and personal care are signaling they'll be more active in the M&A market this year. There are three major home-based care deals that have happened, or may happen, in the near-term future. All of them could have significant ripple effects. 

Oregon's health authority reviewing UnitedHealth's acquisition of Amedisys Reuters, by Leroy Leo; 3/19/24 Amedisys said on Tuesday Oregon's health authority has started a review of UnitedHealth Group's $3.3 billion acquisition of the home health and hospice caregiver. UnitedHealth had announced the acquisition in June, after competing with Option Care Health. 

Private equity-backed consolidation divides physicians Modern Healthcare, by Alex Kacik; 3/18/24 ... Fewer physicians — only 46.7% in 2022 compared with 60.1% in 2012 — work in practices wholly owned by doctors amid struggles to manage reimbursement cuts, regulation and rising expenses. As a result, more physicians are joining health systems, private equity-backed management services organizations and insurers. That trend has spurred research, lobbying groups, regulation and legislation on physician employment models. 

VITAS CEO Westfall: Market conditions more favorable for hospice acquisitions Hospice News, by Jim Parker; 3/15/24  Changes in the marketplace have made further acquisitions by VITAS Healthcare more likely. VITAS, a subsidiary of Chemed Corp. ..., recently announced its first deal in several years, the $85 million purchase of hospice assets from Covenant Health. While the company does not comment on its specific acquisition plans or its pipeline, VITAS may be more active in the M&A space in the coming year, CEO Nick Westfall indicated ...

Private equity sets sights on home care, hospice, new report findsMcKnights Home Care, by Adam Healy; 3/14/24The home care segment increasingly has become an attractive target for private equity buyers, particularly personal care and hospice, according to the Private Equity Stakeholder Project, a nonprofit financial watchdog organization.

Why Northwell wants to buy Nuvance Modern Healthcare, by Caroline Hudson; 3/6/24 The deal would create a system with 28 hospitals and more than 1,000 care sites across New York and Connecticut.Editor's Note: Access to this article requires a subscription.

IntellaTriage strengthens position as market leader through NurseLine acquisitionFOX WTNZ TV 43; 2/29/24IntellaTriage, the leading provider of after-hours nurse-first triage services for hospice and home health, is excited to announce its strategic acquisition of NurseLine, a prominent nationwide provider of hospice and home health triage services. The transaction was completed for an undisclosed sum and marks a significant step in IntellaTriage's commitment to enhancing patient care and streamlining healthcare delivery.

(Private Equity Issue) Anesthesiology group must cut ties with 5 hospitals: Colorado AGBecker's Hospital Review, by Alan Condon; 2/27/24Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser has announced an agreement with U.S. Anesthesia Partners that resolves the private equity-backed company's alleged anticompetitive business practices that drove up prices for consumers receiving surgical anesthesia services.Publisher's note: Private equity concerns have impacted hospices the past few years. Private equity concerns in other fields are also catching our attention.

Legislation aims to increase scrutiny of private equity healthcare acquisitionsMcKnights Senior Living, by Lois A. Bowers; 2/27/24Legislation introduced ... in [California] would give the attorney general oversight of private equity and hedge fund acquisitions of long-term care and other healthcare facilities. Backers of AB 3129 say that it would “safeguard fair competition and root out anticompetitive practices by dominant corporations” as well as “ensure that the acquisitions are in the public interest.” Under the bill, the AG could grant, deny or impose conditions to a change of control or acquisition between a private equity group or hedge fund and a long-term care or other healthcare facility.

Top home health & hospice investors of 2023Levin Associates; 2/20/24The most active Home Health & Hospice investor during 2023 was The Pennant Group, which completed the year with five deal announcements across the home hospice, home health and multi-service specialties. The company made acquisitions in Arizona, Idaho, Oklahoma, Texas and Colorado. [Click on the title's link for more investors and extensive details.]

Hospice of Western Reserve plans to merge with Hospice of North Central OhioCrain's Cleveland Business, by Paige Bennett; 2/6/24Hospice of the Western Reserve, a provider of palliative and end-of-life care, caregiver support and bereavement services and one of Cleveland’s largest nonprofits, intends to merge with the Hospice of North Central Ohio.

Predicting private equity’s involvement in home health care in 2024Home Health Care News, by Patrick Filbin; 2/2/24Health care’s share of global private-equity (PE) deal count peaked at 13.7% in 2020. Three years later, that number fell to 10.8% — its lowest level since 2015. Compared to the bustling activity of 2021, home-based care dealmaking was mostly sluggish in 2023 and has followed that same trend.

SSM Health assumes ownership of Visiting Nurse Association of Greater St. LouisSSM Health; 2/1/24SSM Health and Visiting Nurse Association of Greater St. Louis (VNA) announced today they’ve successfully completed a transfer of ownership of VNA’s health care services. Effective immediately, the exceptional services VNA is known for – including hospice care, Advanced Illness Management (AIM),community-based palliative care, private duty care, Visit-A-Bit, vaccination, wellness, and music appreciation programs – will now operate as part of SSM Health at Home.