Merger, Acquisitions, Partnerships and Investments
Plans
Anthem considers Beacon acquisition as strategic play for Arkansas PASSE market
The recent purchase of Beacon gives Anthem 75% of the emerging capitated market in Arkansas. They already had 49% of the PASSE program enrollment (a provider-led shared savings model) before the purchase. Industry analysts consider the PASSE program a pre-cursor to implementing widespread managed cae in the state.
Further reading
https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2019/sep/15/deal-sets-up-insurer-for-stakes-in-2-ma/
BCBS NC and Cambia merger on hold as CEO arrested for DUI
As of late September, the $16B deal is on hold after BCBS-NC disclosed a DUI arrest that occurred earlier in the summer (for CEO Patrick Conway).
Health Alliance Plan completes purchase of Trusted Health Plan (Michigan)
While the THP footprint is small (9,000 members) deal gives HAP a path back into the Detroit market after losing its position years ago.
Further reading
Priority Health acquires Total Health
The 2 Michigan MCOs will combine pending approval. Priority Health will gain about 50,000 Medicaid lives in the deal, and will also make a payment of $25M to a local foundation focused on social determinants in Detroit.
Further reading
Updates on Evolent purchase of Passport
The KY deal got AG approval in late July. News articles post-approval made it clear that the plan was struggling and required the $70M cash infusion from Evolent to credibly rebid its MCO contract (currently valued at $2B top line capitation revenues; $40M profit @ 2%).
Further reading
Care Oregon to be acquired by Providence Health
Providence Health announced it will buy Care Oregon late August. The companies are predicting approval by January 2020.
Further reading
Optima Health (Sentara) buys Virginia Premier
The combined plan will have 800,000 members. Sentara will be 80% owner of the new entity.
Further reading
Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and Tufts Health Plan merging
The combination will make a huge 2.4M member-strong plan across 6 New England States. Approvals pending.
Further reading
WellCare/Centene deal updates
Anthem will pick up 2 new Medicaid plans (MO and NE) that got bumped out in the negotiations made with regulators overseeing the WellCare/Centene deal. At last count 17 states had approved the deal, with 10 more to go. Providers in GA were particularly vocal in their opposition. AZ opened a public comment process on the merger late August (the 2 entities serve nearly 400,000 members in AZ Medicaid today). Both companies are still predicting approval by Q2 2020.
Further reading
https://seekingalpha.com/news/3501958-wellcare-divest-missouri-nebraska-medicaid-plans
https://www.azahcccs.gov/Resources/OversightOfHealthPlans/Centene-WellCare.html
Centene plan takes over AZ prison contract
Centene has been makings strategic inroads into prison health services. Centurion (a Centene subsidiary in AZ) started a new contract for 10 prisons in July.
Further reading
https://www.abc15.com/news/state/new-arizona-prison-health-care-provider-promises-improvements
Aflac to acquire Argus (a dental and vision insurance company) for $75M
The company known for property and life insurance appears to be testing the waters of health insurance with a recent acquisition of Argus Holdings. While Aflac already sells dental and vision insurance, these lines of business are not core to their brand. The Argus buy is targeted to allow expansion into various new channels, including Medicaid, Medicare and the Marketplace.
Further reading
https://health.wusf.usf.edu/post/aflac-buys-tampa-insurer-argus-holdings#stream/0
Oscar (Google) and Montefiore Health System to offer Medicare Advantage Plan in 2020
Google continues to invest in figuring out the health insurance market. Oscar will co-brand and MA plan with Montefiore next year. The deal will add 10 hospitals and 200 OP sites in New York to Oscar’s latest attempts to break into the space. In related new, Oscar is also launching an MA plan in Houston.
Further reading
https://www.hioscar.com/press/oscar-enters-ny-medicare-advantage-market
NY-Healthfirst and Landmark partner to deliver in home care for Medicare members
Nearly 8,000 MA members in NY will start getting direct care in their home as part of a new deal between Healthfirst and Landmark Health. The care model includes in home visits from dieticians, nurses, pharmacists and social workers.
https://www.landmarkhealth.org/healthfirst-medical-care-coordination/
LA Care Plan and BCBS of CA (Promise Health Plan) invest $73M in community resource center partnership
The 2 MCOs will operate 14 community resource centers in LA county. The project is currently slated for 5 years.
Further reading
Hospitals, health systems and provider groups
LHC Group makes multiple home care purchases
LHC Group purchased 2 SSM Health agencies in Missouri (August). They also announced a partnership in AL to share ownership, and bought 2 locations in Ohio. In September they announced they will buy VNA Home Health of Maryland.
Further reading
KY- MENTOR enters KY Adult Day Health Market with acquisition
MENTOR bought Just Family Services to enter the connect market with 800 members. MENTOR is now in 5 states and serves about 5,000 seniors.
Further reading
TX- HCA completes purchase of 24 TX urgent care centers
HCA is adding significant square footage to its Austin, Dall and Houston footprint. Fresenius sold 24 urgent care centers. HCA will rebrand them as CareNow Urgent Care and the new entity will be the largest urgent care network in the US.
Further reading
Sanford Health and UnityPoint Health merge to make 76-hospital system
The combined entity would be an $11B health system spread out over 26 states. The companies remain optimistic that regulatory approvals will go through by the end of this year.
Further reading
Two major acquisitions related to ABA therapy
Blue Sprig Pediatrics bought Thrive Autism Solutions (July; current markets – AR and MO). The Stepping Stones Group bought New England ABA (Sept).
Further reading
Providence St Joes enters EHR consulting market (Rhode Island)
Providence St Joseph Health in RI will buy an Epic consulting firm called Bluetree Network. Bluetree currently has 140 hospital clients. The purchase will allow the non-profit Providence St Joes to offer various services to providers through its for-profit consulting subsidiary. This strategy follows on from their February launch of a for-profit population health management company.
Further reading
Investment News
Navigant Consulting bought by Guidehouse
Veritas Capital asset Guidehouse bought Navigant Consulting for $1.1B in early August. Navigant was publicly traded as NCI, and shareholders received $28 per share in cash (a 26% premium on the 90 day average). Guidehouse views the buy as the next step in their path towards establishing a global consultancy. Guidehouse currently has 2,000 employees.
Further reading
Addus HomeCare continues acquisition efforts
Addus announced intentions to make large acquisitions in early August. The first acquisition came late August with the purchase of Hospice Partners of America for $130M. The deal adds 1,000 patients and $55M in annual revenue to the Addus footprint.
Further reading
Opioid treatment provider BayMark Health for sale by Webster Capital
BayMark was formed with the combination of 2 other Webster buys (BAART Programs and Medmark Services) Bids began mid October. The latest valuation was $1B.
Further reading
https://www.pehub.com/buyouts/websters-baymark-opioid-treatment-giant-launches-sales-process/
Florida- ClareMedica raises funding
Physician network ClareMedica already works with MA and Medicaid plans with its 70-provider network.
Beecken Petty O’Keefe and Company raised an undisclosed amount for the investment. The PE firm has 4 funds with an average of $1.3B per fund.
Further reading
Magellan continues to court private equity
Magellan engaged in talks with PE firm Centerbridge in June. Magellan’s current market cap ($1.6B) makes it a large investment for many firms, and there may need to be divestment of key components early on. Analysts were predicting an investment announcement in July or August, but none was made at the time of writing.
Further reading
https://www.wsj.com/articles/centerbridge-in-exclusive-talks-to-buy-magellan-health-11561578626
Norwest Venture invests in ABA provider
Norwest Venture invested an undisclosed amount in ABA provider Gateway Learning Group. Gateway currently has a 17-county footprint in CA. Norwest has current holdings of $7.5B.
Further reading
Tenet to divest Conifer solutions
After years developing Conifer as a hospital solutions provider, health system giant Tenet announced plans to divest it in July. The current strategy is to take Conifer public by mid-20201.
Further reading
https://www.modernhealthcare.com/finance/tenet-plans-spin-revenue-cycle-subsidiary-conifer
Sandata Technologies raises significant investment with Accel-KKR
EVV vendor Sandata Technologies worked with investment from Accel-KKR to raise “significant” growth investment in July. Accel-KKR has current holdings of $7.5B
Further reading
https://www.accel-kkr.com/sandata-secures-significant-growth-equity-investment-accel-kkr/
SA treatment provider Averhealth raising investment with Fiver Arrows Capital Partners
Averhealth (a substance abuse treatment monitoring provider) announced an engagement with Five Arrows Capital in July. Averhealth is currently in 26 states and works with 1,800 courts. Five Arrows has current holdings of $12B.
Further reading
Compassus (Hospice) sold to Ascension Health in Towerbrook Capital Deal
Compassus was bought for $1B in a deal managed by Towerbrook Capital and Ascension Health. Each buyer will be equal owner. The current Compassus footprint spans 30 states and 125 locations.
Further reading
RHA Health services (behavioral health provider) sold to Blue Wolf Capital
Formation Capital and Safanad Limited announced the sale of RHA in early August. RHA provides services for 25,000 I/DD and SA members. Blue Wolf Capital made the purchase.
Further reading
our text here...