Molina Healthcare To Boost Medicaid Via Strategic Buyout

Molina Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:MOH) has entered into a definitive agreement to purchase all the capital stocks of NextLevel Health Partners, Inc., a Medicaid managed care organization. This all-cash deal value of around $50 million is subject to closing conditions. The transaction is expected to be completed in early 2020.

Molina Healthcare will now cater to nearly 50,000 Medicaid and Managed Long-Term Services and Supports (MLTSS) members in Illinois’ Cook County. Notably, NextLevel Health declared that its estimated premium revenues for 2019 would come to almost $270 million.

With further penetration in Illinois, Molina Healthcare expects to provide even better services to people along with enhancing its business scale and gaining an operating cost leverage. The company would benefit from NextLevel’s community-based approach providing Medicaid members with quality care.

The strategic move is in line with the company’s tactic to boost its Medicaid business. Last October, the company also bought the Medicaid business of New York-based YourCare Health Plan in a $40-million deal settlement. By dint of this pact, the company will be serving approximately 46,000 Medicaid members across seven counties in Western New York and the Finger Lakes region.

Molina Healthcare is focused on government-sponsored health care programs for families and individuals. Its recent Kentucky Medicaid contract win will be a positive for its 2020 earnings and offers a relief to the company, especially after losing Texas Medicaid Star+Plus Program in October 2019 and Florida Medicaid contract earlier during the year.

Rationale Behind the Deal

Molina Healthcare’s deal is in line with its strategy to expand its presence in the Medicaid market, which attracted other players too. Centene Corporation (NYSE:CNC) plans to acquire WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE:WCG) , which is expected to close by the first half of 2020 and boost its Medicaid and Medicare business.

Industry players are busy grabbing a pie of the increasingly consolidating government subsidized health coverage market.

These combined businesses focusing on government-sponsored managed care will not only benefit members with value-based care but also incentivize its stakeholders.

Shares of this Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) company have gained 8.1% in a year's time, underperforming its industry's growth of 21.6%. The stock price performance looks muted in comparison to peers like Anthem, Inc. (NYSE:ANTM) , which have returned 22.3% in the same time frame. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

However, these tailwinds might inflate the company’s revenue base, which in turn, would perk up its share price.

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