New Mountain Capital, a private equity firm, has acquired HealthPort, which provides services related to the security of health information and responding to medical record requests.
Aetna, which a couple of years ago acquired Medicity, has acquired another exchange IT vendor; this time bSwift, for $400 million. Competing with the benefit consulting firms in this area, however, is going to be difficult for Aetna and the other payers.
In a startling demonstration of just how slow the basic lab test business has become, LabCorp is planning to buy Covance, a large clinical research organization, for $6.1 billion. While there is some synergy, since lab tests are a part of most drug and device testing, this is a big bet on striking out in a new direction.
Lockheed Martin is buying Systems Made Simple to boost its government health information technology business. Just what we need, the cost overrun specialists who do government defense contracting to do more expensive and unworkable government HIT>
Optum, the non-health plan business of UnitedHealth Group, is purchasing Alere Health, the division on Alere that provides wellness programs for employers and health plan enrollees, for a massive $600 million. The acquisitions which led to Alere Health had been ill-timed for Alere and outside its core business and the company is fighting off a hostile takeover.
Oct282014
Changes in emergency care malpractice standards in three states did not appear to affect intensity of practice or hospital admissions.
The Healthy Skeptic is a website about the health care system, and is written by Kevin Roche, who has many years of experience working in the health industry. Mr. Roche is available to assist health care companies through consulting arrangements through Roche Consulting, LLC and may be reached at khroche@healthy-skeptic.com.