How the Fed’s Interest Rate Cuts Could Affect Hospice M&A

The Federal Reserve cut interest rates by 0.5% on Wednesday, which will likely have an impact on hospice M&A. Interest rates have widespread implications for the hospice mergers and acquisitions market, particularly when it comes to private equity investments. PE firms, and some publicly traded companies, tend to finance their acquisitions by taking on debt. […]

Hospice M&A Looking Dim in 2024

Hospice merger and acquisition (M&A) activity tapered off in 2023 and early 2024 compared to the flurry of prior years, due in part to regulatory and economic pressures. Hospice deal volume and valuations have trended down from record-high levels during 2019 through 2022. The cool down began last year as hospice transaction activity lulled. This […]

M&A Volume May Shift From Hospice to Home Health

Though many expect a hospice M&A rebound in 2024, the scales are tipping in favor of home health companies among buyers. Generally, signs point to heightened buyer activity this year, particularly among private equity as interest rates start to come down. After 2023’s slump, PE firms have been sitting on more than $800 million in […]

The Public Hospice Companies Most Likely to Acquire in 2024

After a rocky year for M&A, two of the publicly traded hospice providers are poised to pursue more deals in 2024. Based on 2023 earnings trends, The Pennant Group (NASDAQ: PNTG) and Addus HomeCare Cop. (NASDAQ: ADUS) are well-positioned to buy, according to an analysis by the M&A advisory firm Mertz Taggart. While the majority […]

CMS Proposes ‘36-Month Rule’ to Curb Hospice License ‘Flipping’

Some hospice owners have been selling their businesses soon after securing a license. This has prompted federal agencies to pursue new regulations to address the problem. The practice appears to stem from a rash of newly licensed hospices that have emerged in California, Nevada, Texas and Arizona. Some of these providers have secured licenses, as […]

Option Care, Amedisys Deal Reveals a ‘Whole Different Landscape’ for Hospice Providers

The implications of Option Care Health’s (NASDAQ: OPCH) pending $3.6 billion acquisition of Amedisys Inc. (NASDAQ: AMED) reflect rapidly changing market forces that could affect the industry at large. The rationale behind the transaction rests on four pillars, Option Care executives recently indicated — value-based reimbursement, the importance of scale in payer negotiations, a desire […]

‘There Are Fewer Quality Targets on the Market’: Hospice Transaction Activity Plummets

Hospice transaction activity has plummeted to its lowest level in years, new dealmaking data suggests. That’s no surprise, as many anticipate health care investors to operate with a more conservative approach in 2023. The cooldown, experts note, is partly due to inflation reaching multi-decade highs, uncertainty in the banking world and credit markets drying up. […]

LHC Group Remains an Active M&A Buyer Following Optum Deal

LHC Group has acquired Delaware-based Summit Home Care for an undisclosed sum, signaling that the company will remain active on the M&A front following Optum Health’s recent $5.4 billion buyout.  Optum, a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), closed the LHC Group transaction in February and has since been quiet on its plans for its […]