As Private Equity Firms Gobble Up Provider Groups, Insurers Sometimes Benefit

During the first three quarters of this year, private equity companies were involved in 725 health care services deals in the U.S. and Canada, according to a PitchBook report released on Nov. 15. That is more than the number of transactions that occurred during each of the years between 2017 and 2020 and on par with 2021 when a record 1,004 such transactions took place for the full year.  

PitchBook, a data analytics and software company, defined the health care services segment as “traditional health care providers that offer medical treatment in hospitals, clinics, residential facilities and homes.” UnitedHealthcare sponsored the report, but the insurer did not have editorial control.