Essentia Health and HealthPartners announce merger plans

Essentia Health and HealthPartners have announced plans to combine, according to Healthcare Dive and Fierce Healthcare. Fierce Healthcare said the proposed organization would be a roughly $12.5 billion, multi-state nonprofit with 22 hospitals and an insurance business with 1.6 million members. Healthcare Dive reported that Essentia operates 14 hospitals and HealthPartners operates eight, and said the deal would combine their hospital portfolios with HealthPartners’ health plan.

Healthcare Dive reported that the systems hope to close the deal early next year. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison’s office said it would hold community meetings and conduct a review of whether the potential acquisition complies with the law and is in the public interest. Healthcare Dive said the transaction’s terms had not been disclosed.