BHSF acquires Forester Healthcare

by Gill Montia

Story link: BHSF acquires Forester Healthcare

BHSF, the Birmingham-based healthcare insurer, is acquiring Forester Health, a Kent-based company, for undisclosed terms.

Forester currently provides health cash plans and physiotherapy insurance to 53,000 policyholders.

The acquisition is only the second made by BHSF since 2001 but the company plans to grow further in this way, or through mergers.

BHSF is the UK’s third largest not-for-profit healthcare insurer. It was founded in 1873 by an eminent Birmingham surgeon, Joseph Sampson Gamgee, and is run is run for the benefit of its policyholders.

The company provides 210,000 policies and following the purchase of Forester Health, will be expanding its operations and taking on at least seven new staff as well as two sales executives from Forester Health.

BHSF chief executive, Peter Maskell, believes that the company’s philanthropic roots make it “more innovative than many in the industry”.

The acquisition of Forester should be completed by the turn of the year and the move is expected to increase BHSF turnover to £38 million, in 2008.