News Summary: Tenet buys Vanguard Health

HOSPITAL DEAL: Tenet Healthcare Corp. agreed to buy hospital operator Vanguard Health Systems Inc. for about $1.8 billion, expanding into new markets as millions of patients start to gain insurance coverage through the health care overhaul.

THE RESULTS: If the deal is cleared, Tenet will own 79 hospitals, up from 49, and 157 outpatient facilities, up from 126. Vanguard runs 28 acute care and specialty hospitals in Texas, Massachusetts and major cities like Chicago, Phoenix and Detroit. Its specialty locations include heart, children's and rehabilitation hospitals.

HEALTH OVERHAUL: The federal health care overhaul is expected to help hospitals by reducing the number of uninsured patients they treat. Starting next year, the overhaul will provide income-based tax credits to help people buy coverage, and the state-and-federally funded Medicaid program will expand its coverage in several states.