Humana announced this week that it intends to divest its minority stake in Gentiva, the largest provider of end-of-life care in the country.
The company said Wednesday that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell off "all or substantially all" of its stake in Gentiva to a "consortium of investors." The agreement puts the value of Humana's stake in Gentiva at about $900 million, according to an announcement.
Other financial terms related to the deal were not disclosed, and it's expected to close in the third quarter of 2026, pending regulatory approval. Details on which investors are involved were also not made public.
Humana said in the announcement that it plans to use the funds from the sale for "general corporate purposes," and said it does not expect that the deal will have a material impact on its earnings for the year.
The company gained a stake in Gentiva through its 2021 acquisition of the remaining assets of Kindred at Home, and at the time, Humana intended to ultimately shed businesses that were not core to KAH, including hospital, palliative care and personal healthcare.
It reached a deal to sell a majority interest in the hospice and palliative care units of Kindred to private equity firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, which was later reformed into Gentiva. Gentiva includes more than 430 locations across 35 states and employs thousands of clinicians and caregivers.
The news comes as plenty of questions emerge about the role of private equity in hospice and end-of-life care. For example, a 2025 study from researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine found that private equity-owned hospice agencies reported the highest profits alongside the lowest spending on direct patient care.