Healthcare deals in the first quarter of this year were 16.1 percent higher than the $26.1 billion quarterly average recorded from 2014-18, according to PwC.
Three things to know:
1. Deal values tripled in the first quarter of this year compared to the last quarter of 2018, driven by Centene's $17.4 billion bid for WellCare Health Plans. That proposed merger reflected 57.5 percent of the quarter's value.
2. When excluding megadeals — defined by PwC as those over $5 billion — deal value grew 33.5 percent in the first quarter when compared to the last quarter of 2018. Year over year, first quarter deal value grew 122.8 percent.
3. At the same time, deal volume fell in the first quarter of 2019 compared to the prior quarter and year by 28.3 percent and 21.2 percent, respectively. PwC said the drop "should not necessarily be seen as suggestive of future declines."