CDR Asks State to Approve Sale of 2 Oregon Kindred at Home Locations

Two Oregon locations included in Humana’s (NYSE: HUM) divestiture of Kindred at Home’s hospice assets are currently under review by the state’s health authority — part of the diligence process involved in any M&A transaction. Humana in April signed a definitive agreement to sell a 60% stake in Kindred at Home to private equity firm […]

Regulators Taking Aim at Hospice PE Backers

Private equity firms are pouring investment dollars into hospices at a record pace. Meanwhile, legislators and regulators as far up as the White House are taking aim at those firms. Despite a cool down in the hospice mergers and acquisitions market during the first quarter of 2022, private equity firms have stayed aggressive on deals. […]

The Thought Process Behind Humana’s Kindred at Home Transactions

In its calculus behind its 2021 Kindred at Home deal, Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM) had to weigh the potential cost savings and lucrative hospice divestiture against the labor pressures in the space, as well as the complexity of scaling home-based care in a fragmented industry. Last year, Humana acquired total ownership of Kindred at Home […]

Rising Admissions, M&A Bolster LHC Group as UnitedHealth Group Deal Proceeds

As LHC Group’s (NASDAQ: LHCG) pending $5.5 billion acquisition by UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) unfolds, the home health and hospice provider is seeing resurgent admissions growth despite persistent workforce pressures. LHC Group saw a contraction in the nursing labor market across its business segments during the second half of last year, President Joshua Proffitt previously […]

Humana Hitting the Mark with Kindred at Home

Eight months after closing, Humana’s (NYSE: HUM) $5.7 billion acquisition of Kindred at Home is bearing fruit. The company has seen significant growth in its home health business and is on the cusp of divesting the hospice segment at a sizable valuation. Earlier this month the company signed a definitive agreement to sell a 60% […]

UnitedHealth Group Mum on Hospice Future If LHC Group Deal Proceeds

Value-based payment, care in the home and technology are some of the pillars on which UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) and its subsidiary Optum Health are building their future. That’s evidenced by the forthcoming $5.5 billion acquisition of LHC Group (NASDAQ: LHCG). One outstanding question, however, is where hospice will fit into this rubric.  Generally speaking, […]

Payers Can ‘Feed Their Own Machine’ With Hospice, Home Health Deals

Recent acquisitions of large hospice and home health providers by insurance companies suggest a drive among payers to reduce financial risk and improve cost outcomes in value-based care arrangements. These deals include two of the largest in recent memory for the home-based care space. UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) recently agreed to purchase LHC Group (NASDAQ: […]

Hospice M&A to Stay Hot as Home Health Picks Up Steam

Mergers-and-acquisition activity continues to boom in the hospice space this year. Deal volume may exceed the record number from the prior two years. As many as 61% of the 203 hospice care professionals who responded to a recent Hospice News Outlook Survey and Report said they anticipate that hospice M&A activity will increase during 2022. […]

[UPDATED] UnitedHealth Group to Acquire LHC Group for $5.5 Billion

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) has agreed to buy LHC Group (NASDAQ: LHCG) for a reported $5.5 billion. The insurance company will integrate LHC Group with its existing home health asset, Optum Health. The massive deal follows last year’s acquisition of Kindred at Home by United’s competitor, Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM) for $5.8 billion. The two […]