This week’s graphic looks at the plethora of state-level mergers and acquisitions (M&A) oversight laws that are now in place, part of a recent trend that adds further scrutiny to healthcare consolidation. Thirty-five states currently have laws that require not-for-profit healthcare entities that meet certain requirements, usually based on revenue size, to report M&A activity to state regulators. Fourteen of these states extend these requirements to for-profit healthcare entities as well. These state laws vary in scope but generally target healthcare deals that fall below the federal reporting threshold for transaction size, updated to $119.5M in 2024. Two states with particularly strong healthcare M&A oversight laws are Oregon and Minnesota. The Oregon Health Authority must pre-approve any healthcare transaction of at least $35M in size. Passed in 2023, Minnesota’s healthcare antitrust law sets the deal size reporting requirements at $10M, but the state commissioner of health and the attorney general do not have to pre-approve all healthcare mergers. Minnesota also requires merging parties to disclose extensive details on the transaction agreement, market impact, service cuts, and more to state regulators, who have broad authority to block mergers on public interest grounds. Although some believe that these state laws will help preserve healthcare competition and access, they will increase the complexity, cost, and timeline for healthcare entities seeking to merge and could make survival for smaller providers even more difficult.
