Putting an end to what seemed to be a pretty open secret, Triple-S Management Corp. on Tuesday announced that its subsidiary Triple-S Salud Inc. will purchase American Health Inc.’s parent company, for some $82 million in cash.
The transaction, which entails buying all of the outstanding capital stock of American Health’s parent, Socios Mayores en Salud Holdings Inc., is expected to close on or before the end of next month. At that time, more than 40,000 dual and non-dual eligible Medicare Advantage members in Puerto Rico will migrate to Triple S’s client base, company officials said.
“We are pleased to welcome American Health, its members, providers and employees to our organization. This acquisition positions us for continued growth in the Medicare Advantage segment and is consistent with our long-term strategy,” said Triple-S Management President Ramón Ruiz Comas.
This is the first major deal that Triple-S has subscribed since being shut out of the government’s health reform plan last year. For the 12 months ended Dec. 31, 2010, American Health reported revenue of approximately $380 million, Triple-S said.
“We anticipate that the premium revenue and efficiencies resulting from this acquisition will compensate for the impact of future CMS rate adjustments; it also enables us to offset administrative costs from the loss of the local government Health Care Reform (Medicaid) contract by redeploying our capital into a more profitable business,” Ruiz Comas said.
While the transaction has received local regulatory approvals, it is still subject to other conditions, including SMSH stockholder approval.
Triple-S, a local insurance provider dominating about 33 percent of the market, will provide more details on the acquisition when it unveils its fourth-quarter conference results on Feb. 9.
Business reporter with 30 years of experience writing for weekly and daily newspapers, as well as trade publications in Puerto Rico. My list of former employers includes Caribbean Business, The San Juan Star, and the Puerto Rico Daily Sun, among others. My areas of expertise include telecommunications, technology, retail, agriculture, tourism, banking and most other segments of Puerto Rico’s economy.
“This project not only represents a significant investment in our island’s tourism infrastructure, but also symbolizes Puerto Rico’s ability to attract and execute large-scale projects.
The Investment Portfolio Program, with a budget of $800 million, plays a crucial role in offering loans with favorable terms for the development of projects that have the potential to transform the Puerto Rican economy.”
— Puerto Rico Housing Secretary William Rodríguez regarding the construction of a $77 million dual-branded hotel project in San Juan’s Convention Center District, featuring Hilton’s Hampton and Homewood Suites.
The project by PRISA Group includes a 400-vehicle parking structure and a 175,000-square-foot hotel tower, financed by Banco Popular and a $10 million federal disaster recovery loan from the Economic Development Investment Portfolio Program managed by the Department of Housing.