Nonprofit and for-profit hospitals and health systems announced 85 transactions in 2019, a 27 percent decline from last year, according to a new report from financial and strategic advisory firm Ponder & Co.
Five other takeaways from the report:
1. In 2019, 18 hospital transactions involved a for-profit acquirer. This is the lowest volume of for-profit acquisitions in the last decade.
2. Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare has been the only buyer in the last two years, all other for-profit providers have been divesting hospitals to deleverage, reposition or integrate past transactions.
3. 2019 marked a decline in megamergers, which are defined as deals greater than $1 billion. In 2019, there were four megamergers, compared to 10 mega mergers each in 2018 and 2017.
4. At least 10 health systems called off mergers in 2019, which means acquirers are becoming more selective, the report said.
5. California had the most announced transactions with eight, followed by Pennsylvania with six deals in 2019.
Access the full report here.
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