Cano Health’s telenovela moved to a Delaware court, where it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. This prearranged voluntary Chapter 11 was filed on Sunday 4 February in the US Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. Based on this Editor’s reading of their release, it’s a prepackaged reorganization of this beleaguered primary care provider. It also promises an exit by Q2 2024. It features several parts that have to be approved by the Court in short order:
- A Restructuring Support Agreement (the “RSA”) with major lenders (the “Ad Hoc Lender Group”). They hold approximately 86% of Cano’s secured revolving and term loan debt and 92% of its senior unsecured notes. The RSA provides for the conversion of nearly $1 billion in secured debt to a combination of new debt and full equity ownership in the reorganized company. (See below as to what that means for Class A shareholders.)
- Securing liquidity via a commitment for $150 million in new debtor-in-possession financing from certain of its existing secured lenders.
In addition, Cano itemized several ‘first day’ motions to ensure continuity of operations–these also have to be approved by the Court:
- Paying associate wages, including for its doctors and nurses, without interruption
- Continuing operations and honoring obligations to its affiliate physician groups
- Ensuring patients at its clinics continue to receive quality value-based healthcare
- Seeking authority to pay the existing pre-petition claims of certain vendors that are critical to the health and safety of Cano Health’s patients and critical to the operation of the Company’s medical centers.
- Cano has authority to continue making ordinary course payments for all authorized goods and services provided on or after the filing date.
Earlier actions by their CEO laid groundwork for this reorganization through selling off operations and divesting staff. In September, they sold their Texas and Nevada operations to CenterWell Senior Primary Care, a unit of Humana, for $66.7 million, and exited California, New Mexico and Illinois late last year, with Puerto Rico winding up this quarter. Cano also cut 21% of staff (842 people) by November .
No comfort for their common Class A shareholders, though. Shareholders approved a 1 share for 100 reverse share split to buoy price last December, though the NYSE had notified Cano on 29 December of delisting based on their market capitalization not meeting their standards. Cano’s shares stopped trading as of last Friday at $2.30. What is usual, and signaled by the RSA conversion, is that common shareholders–probably including the infamous Cano 3 who owned about 35% of the shares–will receive bupkis, nada, zip, zero in the reorganization.
Update: The NYSE delisted Cano Health’s (CANO) stock late on Monday, citing the RSA conversion. Press release, Healthcare Dive. The Class A shares are now listed OTC (the ‘pink sheets’) under CANOQ at $0.70. Shareholders are wholesale unloading with the day’s volume over 580,000 compared to the previous average of 340,000 shares.
Cano remains for sale during this process according to the release.
Here’s the 36-page filing, courtesy of Industry Dive. Healthcare Dive. FierceHealthcare dubbed this a ‘spectacular collapse’ (which it isn’t–that was Babylon Health) but includes some speculation from Ari Gottlieb, a principal at A2 Strategy Group whom this Editor has quoted before, that since Humana has a stake in and partnered with Cano, they should simply pick up what’s left. However, Humana may not be in a cash position to do so, given its recent losses in its Medicare Advantage business that also helped to sink Cano (partly paywalled). The local take in the Sun-Sentinel.
Less drastic but equally, more signs of the times:
Walgreens laid off 145 more staff, primarily in corporate. This follows on November’s 5% corporate layoff. No WARN notices have been filed and all are mum on what areas or states are affected. Nor is there any confirmation that this will be the end. Speculation is that more store closings are in the offing and once leaned down, Walgreens Boots Alliance will be sold off or parted out, with Shields Health Solutions perhaps the first on the block [TTA 25 Jan]. Healthcare Dive, Becker’s
Allina Health, a 10-hospital non-profit health system based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, is outsourcing 2,000 IT and revenue cycle management jobs to Optum. Happily, this is being done as a transition on 5 May from Allina to Optum with no layoffs or shift in workplace, as of this time. Rationale given is to trim needed expenses and ‘deliver on emerging spaces’, whatever that means. Star-Tribune
*Updated for Cano Health delisting and additional information on Walgreens’ layoffs.
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