Home-Based Care M&A Deals Drop 52% in Third Quarter
A Mertz Taggart report cited by Home Health Care News found 11 home health, home care and hospice transactions closed in Q3 2026, down 52.2% from 23 in Q2. Of those deals, six were sponsor-backed strategic add-ons, two were new sponsor platform investments, two involved independent or other buyers, and one came from a strategic buyer. Advisors attribute the drop to longer closing timelines rather than waning buyer interest, noting several announced deals, including Addus HomeCare's planned purchase of AccentCare's personal care division and Deaconess Associations' acquisition of HCA home health and hospice agencies, closed after the quarter ended or are still pending. Buyers are increasingly scrutinizing compliance histories, documentation and leadership depth during due diligence, with firms paying premiums for agencies seen as strategically valuable even as overall deal counts soften.