The new year started off strong with a handful of payer mergers and acquisitions, often known as affiliations for nonprofits.
Here are four M&A moves so far:
1. Fallon Health will join fellow nonprofit insurer Boston-based Mass General Brigham Health Plan after an “intentional process to identify a long-term partner,” a Jan. 8 statement said.
2. Blue Cross Blue Shield licensee Hawaii Medical Service Association and Honolulu-based Hawaii Pacific Health — which includes ACO Hawaii Health Partners — will affiliate under a new nonprofit parent organization, One Health Hawaii, leaders confirmed Jan. 7.
3. The country’s leading insurers are taking ownership of the data services group Council for Affordable Quality Healthcare, which is moving away from its nonprofit structure. Shareholders include UnitedHealth Group, Centene Corp., Aetna, Elevance Health, Cigna Group, Humana and some regional BCBS insurers.
4. Priority Health became the sole governing group of Wisconsin’s Health Cooperative of Eau Claire, a community-based health plan with more than 61,000 members. The transaction was finalized at the top of 2026.
Note: This story was updated Jan. 9, 2026, and will continue to be updated throughout the year.
