Mertz Taggart

03/17/2026

In Behavioral Health M&A, 2026 will belong to the prepared.

While much of the industry conversation has focused on a post-pandemic "correction," the data tells a different story: 2025 has been Mertz Taggart’s busiest year for behavioral health transactions since the 2021 peak.

The market isn’t slowing down—it’s maturing. 📈

As we look toward 2026, private equity "platform" investments are signaling a significant wave of add-on acquisition activity. However, the bar for due diligence has never been higher.

To command a premium multiple in this environment, owners must look beyond top-line growth and prioritize three core pillars:

✅ EBITDA Normalization: Accurately identifying the true "pro-forma" value of the organization.

✅ Payer Diversification: De-risking revenue streams to protect valuation during diligence.

✅ Operational Scalability: Demonstrating a clinical and financial model that thrives across multiple locations.

Whether an exit is 6 months or 3 years away, the operational decisions made today will determine the eventual "walk-away" value at the closing table.

We published a comprehensive 2026 Behavioral Health Outlook to help founders prepare their clinical and financial operations for a successful transition.

Read the full briefing here: https://www.mertztaggart.com/post/how-to-prepare-your-behavioral-health-business-for-sale-in-2026

A practical guide for behavioral health business owners on valuation drivers, buyer expectations, and M&A trends shaping deals in 2026 and beyond.

03/02/2026

We’ll be on site this week at the Health Business' VALUE Conference in Orlando, and we’d welcome the opportunity to connect in person.

Members of our Behavioral Health M&A team attending include:
- Kevin Taggart, Managing Partner
- Sandra Zervoudakis, Senior Managing Director

If you’re attending VALUE and would like to schedule a confidential conversation during the conference, please reach out in advance at sandra@mertztaggart.com to coordinate time — or stop by Booth #17.

📍 Orlando, FL
📅 March 4–6, 2026
📍 Booth #17

02/23/2026

Join us at the Behavioral Health Business' VALUE Conference this March in Orlando.

Members of our Behavioral Health M&A team will be on site throughout the conference, including:

- Kevin Taggart, Managing Partner
- Sandra Zervoudakis, Senior Managing Director

The VALUE Conference continues to bring together operators, investors, and advisors focused on the future of behavioral healthcare, and we look forward to being part of the conversation.

If you’re attending VALUE and would like to connect during the conference, we invite you to stop by Booth #17 or reach out at info@mertztaggart.com in advance to coordinate time.

📍 Orlando, FL
📅 March 4–6, 2026
📍 Booth #17

The VALUE Conference continues to bring together operators, investors, and advisors focused on the future of behavioral healthcare, and we look forward to being part of the conversation.

&A

02/05/2026

The infusion services market is currently seeing a surge in M&A activity, leaving many owners fielding constant inquiries from interested buyers. You may be asking yourself: What is driving this sudden influx of capital into the sector?

We have just published a new industry summary detailing the Three Drivers fueling this growth and the resulting "frothy" platform multiples:

The Chronic Disease Engine: Long-term care now accounts for 60% of industry revenue, providing the predictable, recurring cash flow that investors prize.

Biologic & Biosimilar Innovation: The drug pipeline is accelerating due to AI and FDA initiatives, while biosimilars are significantly expanding market accessibility.

The Shift to Alternate Sites: Home and Alternate Sites of Care (AIC) offer a 65%–80% cost advantage, making them the preferred model for payers and providers alike.

This momentum is anchored by the powerhouse trading performance of sector leaders like Option Care Health (OPCH) and landmark exits like KabaFusion ($2.2B) and Soleo Health ($1.1B).

We hope you find these insights helpful. If you’re interested in how these trends are specifically impacting valuations for businesses like yours, we would welcome a confidential conversation.

Visit www.mertztaggart.com/infusion-services to learn more.​​​

02/03/2026

February is American Heart Month.

While the spotlight is often on cardiovascular health, the broader takeaway applies across healthcare: better outcomes depend on consistent, long-term care delivered beyond the hospital setting.

Across home-based care, behavioral health, infusion therapy, and other specialty services, providers supporting chronic condition management and preventive care play an increasingly critical role in the healthcare ecosystem.

These same fundamentals—clinical quality, operational discipline, and scalability—are also shaping how healthcare services businesses are evaluated in today’s M&A market.

American Heart Month is a timely reminder that strong healthcare systems are built on providers delivering sustainable, outcomes-driven care in the communities they serve.

01/30/2026

We’re looking forward to being in San Diego for the NATSAP Annual Conference this February.

Members of the Mertz Taggart team — Kevin Taggart, Sandra Zervoudakis, and Peter Thiessen — will be attending and available throughout the conference. If you’re planning to be there and would like to connect for a confidential conversation, feel free to reach out ahead of time.

📍 San Diego, CA
📅 February 9–12, 2026

You can contact us at info@mertztaggart.com or connect directly with one of our team members to coordinate time.

01/20/2026

As interest rates declined and buyer confidence improved, home-based care M&A activity rebounded in 2025, with transaction volume moving closer to levels seen in 2022 and 2023.

Q4 closed out the year with stronger activity, driven in part by increased hospice transactions and continued sponsor-backed acquisitions.

To learn more about the Home-Based Care M&A activity that marked the fourth quarter of 2025, read the full report below.

https://www.mertztaggart.com/post/q4-2025-home-based-care-m-a-report

The recap of Home-Based Care M&A activity is now available in our M&A Report! Read all about the transactions that marked Q4 2025!

01/19/2026

Join us at the NATSAP Annual Conference this February in San Diego.

NATSAP continues to be an important forum for leaders across behavioral health, therapeutic education, and treatment services to connect, share perspectives, and discuss the evolving landscape of care delivery and organizational stewardship.

📍 San Diego, CA
📅 February 9–12, 2026

As the conference approaches, we’ll share additional details on who from the Mertz Taggart team will be on site and available for conversations.

We look forward to being part of the dialogue.

01/15/2026

In 2025, Mertz Taggart launched Behind the Curtain with a simple goal in mind: to create a more transparent, educational forum where healthcare business owners could hear directly from operators, buyers, and industry leaders—without the sales pitch.

The idea was to go beyond headlines and market commentary and instead explore how decisions are actually made, what drives value in today’s M&A environment, and how owners can better position their businesses long before a transaction is on the table.

Over the course of the year, Behind the Curtain evolved into a focused webinar series featuring candid conversations, practical insights, and perspectives grounded in real transaction experience. Each session reinforced the same theme: informed owners make better long-term decisions.

As we look ahead to 2026, we plan to continue expanding Behind the Curtain with more conversations that bring clarity to an often opaque process and spotlight the realities of healthcare M&A.

Thank you to everyone who joined us, shared feedback, and helped shape the direction of the series. More to come.

🔎 Explore the series: https://www.mertztaggart.com/behind-the-curtain

01/12/2026

Today is National Pharmacist Day!

Pharmacists are among the most trusted professionals in healthcare — supporting medication safety, patient education, immunizations, and continuity of care across communities.

We’re grateful for the role pharmacists play within the healthcare services ecosystem and the impact they make every day.

01/06/2026

What do strategic buyers really look for when acquiring home care businesses?

We recently shared a written article summarizing insights from Rich Tinsley, Chief Development Officer at Help at Home, as part of Mertz Taggart’s Behind the Curtain webinar series. The discussion offered a candid look into how one of the most active strategic buyers evaluates home care M&A opportunities.

A few key takeaways:
• Culture comes first — buyer interest often starts with how owners think about caregivers, clients, and long-term stewardship
• Compliance matters more than ever — not just on paper, but in daily operations
• Sustainable economics win — buyers prioritize durability over short-term margin optimization
• Market and state dynamics matter — reimbursement stability and labor conditions play a major role

If you’re considering a transaction — or simply want to understand how strategic buyers view the market — the full article breaks this down in detail.

👉 Read the full article here:
https://www.mertztaggart.com/post/what-strategic-buyers-really-look-for-in-home-care-m-a-insights-from-help-at-home

Behind the Curtain - a webinar series that bridges the gap between healthcare industry buyers and sellers by gathering valuable insights — helping owners understand what drives buyer interest and what may hold them back. This time, Rich Tinsley, CDO at Help at Home shared his insights on what Stra...

01/05/2026

Hospice News recently published coverage highlighting renewed momentum in the hospice transaction landscape, with activity picking up toward the end of 2025. Mertz Taggart was pleased to be included as part of the broader market discussion.

Thank you to Hospice News for the coverage and continued focus on the hospice M&A space. Read the article here: https://hospicenews.com/2025/12/30/the-hospice-ma-locomotive-gains-momentum-in-2025/

The winds have changed in the hospice merger and acquisition landscape in 2025. Activity slumped as the year began, but picked up steam as more strategic