Medibank Private Ltd (ASX: MPL) shares are on the move on Wednesday.
In morning trade, the private health insurance giant's shares are up 2% to $4.94.
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Why are Medibank shares rising?
The catalyst for today's move has been news that the company is making a major acquisition.
According to the release, Medibank has signed an agreement to acquire Better Medical. It is a network of 61 GP and medical clinics in Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, and Tasmania.
The company notes that Better Medical has operated in the community since 2015, with around 800 doctors, nurses and allied health practitioners delivering care to patients.
It has agreed to acquire the network from private equity firm Livingbridge for consideration of approximately $159 million subject to certain closing adjustments.
Management highlights that this investment builds on Medibank's support for primary care through its Amplar Health network, with a focus on improving access, choice, and control for both patients and clinicians.
Speaking about the deal, Amplar Health's chief executive, Robert Read, said the investment is part of Medibank's focus on supporting the long-term health and wellbeing of the community. He said:
Primary care is the cornerstone of the health system, with GPs, nurses and other health professionals vital to early intervention and prevention in their communities. Investing in GPs and their teams to enable them to deliver more proactive and preventative care is good for patients, good for doctors and good for the health system.
The need for more investment in prevention is clear. The rate of Australians living with chronic conditions continues to grow even though around one third of these conditions are preventable. Recent data from the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners shows that more than 4 in 5 practising GPs want to provide more preventive care to their patients, with time being one of the biggest barriers.
Small earnings boost
Better Medical is expected to deliver EBITDA of approximately $6 million for the six months ending 30 June 2026.
However, it is part of a greater strategy to expand in health and supports the aspirations to achieve at least $200 million in Medibank Health segment profit and to grow capital employed to $700 million by FY 2030.
It also takes the total amount Medibank has invested in M&A between FY 2024 and FY 2026 to $218 million, which is towards the top end of the $150 million to $250 million target range.
