Columbia and HCA divests as HealthSouth buys ASC
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
Columbia/HCA has cancelled hospital building and plans to sell most of the recently-acquired Value Health business. At the same time, HealthSouth, which has shown interest in acquiring some or all of the beleaguered healthcare group, will pay $180 million in cash and debt assumption for a chain of 29 surgery centres. Columbia recently paid $1.1 billion for Value Health and now intends to sell its pharmacy benefits management company which represents around 80% of Value Health's $1.8 billion turnover. Columbia will also shed the managed care company specialising in behavioural therapy and the information technology-based disease management division.