Private equity firms Carlyle, Longshore rush into RCM platform acquisitions

Investment firms Carlyle, Longshore Capital, and Serent Capital are actively acquiring revenue cycle management platforms, signaling a wave of private equity consolidation in the healthcare IT sector. This activity is partly driven by new federal price transparency and prior authorization rules that increase demand for sophisticated billing and claims management software. For independent practices, this consolidation may lead to platform integrations, price increases, or service changes as new owners seek returns. The trend highlights the growing financialization of the RCM middleware layer between providers and payers.