Healthcare Dealmakers—Kaiser's Risant targets Cone Health; FTC's antitrust win and more

Healthcare mergers and acquisitions are in no short supply as providers, health tech companies, retailers and other industry players look to expand their businesses and gain a competitive edge. Here’s a roundup of new deals that were revealed, closed, rumored or called off during the month of June.


Provider

Kaiser Permanente’s Risant Health value-based care platform announced Cone Health as its next acquisition target. Financial terms were not disclosed. The $2.8 billion North Carolina system will continue to operate independently should the deal close but would be the beneficiary of “expertise, resources and support through Risant Health’s value-based platform.”

UAB Health System is purchasing a system of five central Alabama hospitals from Ascension for about $450 million. The arrangement, expected to close in the fall, includes the hospitals, a freestanding emergency department and other clinical facilities and employees. UAB Health System leadership said the organization is planning new infrastructure investments for St. Vincent's and has no plans to upend staffing or clinical operations. The purchase awaits regulatory review and a signoff from the Catholic Church.

Atlantic Health System and Saint Peter's Healthcare System have moved their merger plans forward with a signed definitive agreement. The deal to form a roughly $4.5 billion New Jersey system now awaits regulatory and Catholic Church approvals.

Novant Health’s $320 million plan to purchase two Community Health Systems hospitals in North Carolina was foiled by the Federal Trade Commission’s courtroom challenges. Though the health systems picked up early wins in district court, an appellate panel granted an injunction pending appeal that had the potential to drag proceedings for over two years. Upon hearing of the ruling, Novant Health decided to walk away from the deal.

UPMC tied a bow on its acquisition of Washington Health System, a two-hospital nonprofit. Full terms were not disclosed, though UPMC has committed to at least $300 million of investments into the hospitals over the next decade.

Prospect Medical Holdings’ pending sale of two struggling Rhode Island safety net hospitals to The Centurion Foundation received a conditional sign-off from the state’s attorney general, who listed 40 “non-negotiable” terms for the pair. The Rhode Island Department of Health is still conducting its own review of the handoff.

Steward Health informed bankruptcy court that it would be bumping back the bid deadlines for many of its hospitals and other healthcare assets by about three weeks. However, one of those assets, the 1,700-physician Steward Medical Group, will need a new home after UnitedHealth Group’s Optum informed a Massachusetts regulator that it’s no longer pursuing a purchase.

Elara Caring, a multistate home health provider, wrapped up its purchase of Caregivers Home Health. The move expands the private company’s business into Kansas and Iowa.

Trinity Health Michigan has signed a deal to sell its Trinity Health Livingston hospital in Howell, Michigan, to Catholic Healthcare International. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Universal Health Services signed a deal to sell an 80-bed, San Angelo, Texas behavioral health center to Shannon Medical Center. A price tag was not disclosed. The deal is expected to be finalized in September.

Allina Health signed a deal to sell some of its lab assets to Quest Diagnostics, which will then offer lab services to the system’s clinic physicians and outreach provider clients. Terms of the deal, expected to close in the third quarter, were not disclosed.

Payer

Priority Health, a Michigan health plan with 1.3 million members, said it will be acquiring Physicians Health Plan of Northern Indiana, which services over 52,000 members. The companies expect to close the deal by the end of the year and said they do not anticipate significant changes to product lines or member coverage. Financial terms were not disclosed though they said the deal’s proceeds will go toward supporting the acquired plan’s charity for low-income individuals, the PHP Foundation.

UnitedHealth Group’s Optum, upon acquiring home healthcare, hospice and palliative care company Amedisys, will sell an undisclosed number of care centers to VitalCaring Group, per a regulatory filing. Terms of the deal, other than the contingency of the $3.3 billion combination’s close, were not disclosed. Optum and Amedisys’ merger is still under regulatory review but is aiming to close by year-end.

Optum also reportedly sold its Settlement Solutions workers’ compensation business to ExamWorks Compliance Solutions for an unspecified sum.

Tech

Knownwell, an integrated primary and metabolic care provider, acquired obesity treatment competitor Alfie Health. Financial terms were not disclosed. Knownwell executives said they plan to integrate Alfie’s AI-powered ObesityRx platform into their current care model.

Arcadia, a healthcare data platform, acquired clinical data and analytics company CareJourney for an undisclosed sum. The joined entity said it will be able to deliver insights from its body of over 300 million patient histories. Arcadia will also be adding Aneesh Chopra, CareJourney president and former U.S. chief technology officer, and Dan Ross, CareJourney CEO and co-founder, to its leadership team.

eVisit, a virtual care company, has acquired UPMC’s tele-consult technology. Terms were not disclosed, though the system’s commercialization arm has made an undisclosed investment in eVisit. The company said its deal will expand bedside telehealth capabilities and opens the door for co-development opportunities between the two organizations.

Health Catalyst, a data and analytics company, wrapped up its purchase of oncology technology company Carevive Systems. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Truentity Health and IndyCare Health, both technology providers serving independent pharmacies, announced a merger they said will integrate and enhance their service offerings.

Miscellaneous

Vizient, a healthcare data and improvement company, is acquiring fellow health industry advisory firm Kaufman Hall, which is majority owned by funds affiliated with private equity firm Madison Dearborn Partners. Terms were not disclosed, though the deal is expected to close in the back half of this year. Vizient is currently a minority stakeholder in Kaufman as a result of a 2021 strategic partnership.