In a statement, CUF confirmed the regulator’s decision of non-opposition, which allows the deal announced in March of last year to proceed. The agreement provides for the purchase of 75% of the capital of HPA Saúde Group, which owns five hospitals and several clinics in the Algarve, Alentejo, and Madeira regions. The value of the transaction was not disclosed.

According to CUF, the acquisition is a strategic step to strengthen its position as a national healthcare network, enabling it to expand and deepen its service offerings in the Alentejo, Algarve, and Madeira Autonomous Regions.

The favorable decision from the Competition Authority (AdC) is accompanied by commitments considered compatible with the company's development strategy. Among these is the limitation of CUF's annual price increases, which will now be indexed to inflation and the updating of the national minimum wage.

Regarding the competition concerns identified in the Algarve, CUF has committed to developing a new medium-sized hospital in the region, with the hospital subsequently sold to a third-party operator. Should an independent hospital construction initiative by another provider arise in the meantime, CUF and the AdC will evaluate whether to maintain this commitment.

If none of these scenarios materialise, CUF will have to sell an equivalent hospital from its network. Additionally, the company commits to selling any activity whose associated revenue exceeds €15 million.

The next steps involve signing the purchase and sale agreement, which will enable completion of the transaction and the integration of HPA Saúde Group into the CUF network.

In a separate statement, the Competition Authority explains that, as initially notified, the operation could create significant obstacles to competition in the private hospital healthcare market. Among the identified risks are the strengthening of CUF's negotiating power with insurers and health subsystems, which could negatively affect users, and a reduction in competitive pressure in the Algarve.

To mitigate these risks, the regulator accepted a package of structural and behavioural commitments, accompanied by reporting and monitoring mechanisms.