Mergers and acquisitions continue at fast pace, especially for not-for-profits

A new report by independent consulting firm Kaufman Hall finds that U.S. hospital merger and acquisition activity increased 3 percent in 2013, with deals announced for 98 hospital and health system combinations.

According to the Skokie, Ill., company’s analysis, last year’s number of announced transaction is a 51 percent increase over 2010, and most of the deals involved not-for-profit organizations. The total operating revenue of the acquired organizations was $32.3 billion, comprising $18.5 billion from the 87 acquired not-for-profit organizations and $13.8 billion from the 11 acquired for-profit organizations. However, these figures were somewhat skewed by last year’s mega mergers of Health Management Associates with Community Health Systems and Vanguard Health Systems with Tenet Healthcare Corporation. Ninety-two percent or $12.7 billion of the $13.8 billion in operating revenue of organizations acquired in for-profit transactions came from just these two transactions.

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“Our analysis confirms that hospitals and health systems are continuing to pursue partnership arrangements as one approach to accessing the enhanced infrastructure necessary to provide care successfully in the changing environment,” said Michael Finnerty, managing director of Kaufman Hall in a press release announcing his firm’s findings.

The analysis is based solely on acute-care hospital merger and acquisition activity. It does not include specialty hospital, long-term acute-care hospital, or surgical center transactions. In addition, it excludes minor asset sales from closed hospitals, affiliations or management service agreements, and international transactions, Kaufman Hall’s release cautioned.