During the first several years after acquiring a new center, ASC chains often expect the center's earnings to grow at a 3.1 percent to 6 percent rate after the transaction, according to the HealthCare Appraisers 2018 ASC Valuation Survey Results.
The survey gathers data from 15 ASC chains representing 700 surgery centers across the U.S. The survey found a third of the respondents expect an average earnings growth of 3.1 percent to 6 percent, while another third expect a 6.1 percent to 9 percent earnings growth rate per year for the first several years after the transaction closes.
Another 20 percent of the respondents expect more than 9 percent earnings growth rate for those first several years. During those first years, the ASCs may decide to bring on additional physician investors. Forty percent of the respondents said it typically takes six months to one year for the sale to complete. Most of the respondents, 80 percent, prefer single-specialty ASCs have six to 15 physician owners, while 60 percent report they prefer 11 to 20 physician owners for multispecialty ASCs.
Companies also have different expectations for ownership:
• 13 percent prefer less than 10 percent ownership
• 40 percent prefer 11 percent to 50 percent ownership
• 47 percent prefer 51 percent to 75 percent ownership