The largest U.S. health insurer UnitedHealth (Minnesota) wants to strengthen its business in Brazil with a multi-billion dollar acquisition. For a 90 percent share of the Brazilian insurer and hospital operator Amil Participações SA, the company will pay approximately $4.9 billion, the Group announced on Monday. Amil is the largest health insurer in Brazil.
The purchase will be made in two steps. Subject to regulatory approval UnitedHealth will initially purchase about 60 percent of Amil’s shares in the fourth quarter of 2012. In the first half of 2013 they will then make a public tender offer for the missing 30-percent share. The U.S. health insurers are currently on a shopping spree. Arm yourself in the face of reform in the United States.
Commentary: At the end of June, the Supreme Court had declared the insurance obligation to be constitutional. By Law – the „Affordable Care Act“ – the complete health care system and especially the health insurance system is restructured.
As a consequence, there have already been a number of acquisitions in the U.S. health insurance market. For example, the U.S. insurance group Aetna, for example, paid $7.3 billion for the pharmaceutical and health care company Coventry Health Care Inc.. The Aetna competitors UnitedHealth and Cigna have purchased health care company or forged alliances with hospitals in order to reduce costs.
In addition to the acquisitions in the domestic market, there are also movements into the emerging healthcare markets – such as Brazil here – as a strategic alternative in order to prepare for the U.S. healthcare market changes through international expansion.
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