The Norwegian Competition Authority has approved Aleris Helse AS’ acquisition of Teres Medical Group AS with remedies.
The Norwegian Competition Authority has found that the merger between Aleris and Teres could lead to a significant restriction of competition in the supply of plastic surgery and orthopedics, to public hospitals, insurance companies, and to patients who finance their own purchases of services, in the central and northern part of Norway.
– Aleris has offered to sell part of Teres’ business in Norway to Capio AB to avoid restricting competition, says Acting Director Beate Berrefjord.
To eliminate the anti-competitive effects of the merger, Aleris has offered to sell Teres’ clinic in Trondheim (Teres Stokkan) and Teres’ clinic in Tromsø (Teres Tromsø) to Capio. Capio AB owns Volvat Medisinske Senter AS.
In Norway public hospitals are imposed to provide necessary medical assistance to the public. For this reason, most of the health care services are produced by public hospitals. Some of the services are provided in private hospitals after public tenders. Aleris and Teres are nationwide private hospital players who supply health care services to public hospitals, but also to insurance companies and to patients who finance their own purchases of services.
– Without the sale of the two clinics to Capio, the merger could have led to a significant restriction of competition in the central and northern part of Norway. Aleris has proposed remedies that eliminate the anti-competitive effects of the merger, and we have therefore approved the acquisition, says Senior Adviser Hanne Dahl Amundsen.