Mergers & Acquisitions

Cloud-based healthcare supply chain management company Global Healthcare Exchange has acquired Omaha, Nebraska-based H-Card (Hap-X), an automated payment management outfit.

The new brand offers a single enterprise solution that include analytics, consulting, health information management and revenue cycle management.

The two systems will join forces on clinical programs and research.

Health Care Authority approval exempts hospital merger from federal and state antitrust laws.

Standard and Poor's Global Ratings confirmed its ratings on Washington's Providence Health and Services and California-based St. Joseph Health System will not be affected by the California Attorney General's approval for a merger to proceed.

California's insurance commissioner on Thursday recommended that federal officials block Aetna Inc.'s proposed $37 billion acquisition of Humana Inc., saying the deal would suppress market competition and harm consumers.

Kindred Healthcare and the Arkansas Department of Health have signed a definitive agreement for Kindred to acquire in-home healthcare operations from ADH for about $39 million, which includes licenses to provide home health, hospice and personal care services throughout the state of Arkansas.

Shelley Rouillard, director of the state Department of Managed Health Care, said she reached an agreement with Aetna that should help keep future rate increases to a minimum and improve the quality of patient care.

The state insurance department doesn't have the authority to thwart the merger on its own, but Jones' recommendation could carry considerable weight in Washington and hinder the companies' efforts to win federal antitrust approval.

Envision Healthcare Holdings and AMSURG Corp. have announced plans to merge, with the combined organization worth about $10 billion, and with an enterprise value of approximately $15 billion based on Tuesday's closing stock prices for the two groups.