How ISO20022 and Healthcare Transactions Are Rapidly Changing in 2025
- Dr Allen Nazeri DDS MBA
- Jul 4
- 4 min read
In today’s M&A environment, precision, speed, and compliance are no longer optional—they’re expected. And in the middle of it all is a seemingly quiet, yet transformational force: the rollout of ISO20022. For dealmakers operating in cross-border healthcare transactions, this new financial messaging standard is reshaping how capital moves, how compliance is managed, and ultimately, how deals get done.
Whether you're a strategic buyer, a healthcare operator considering a sale, or an M&A advisor, understanding the intersection of ISO20022 and healthcare transactions will give you an edge in an increasingly global market.
Understanding ISO20022 and Healthcare Transactions in a Cross-Border Context
At its core, ISO20022 is a global financial messaging standard that replaces the outdated MT formats used in SWIFT and other payment networks. It enables structured, rich, and machine-readable data in each transaction—essential for automating compliance, fraud detection, and speed of fund transfers.
In healthcare transactions—especially those involving buyers and sellers in different countries—this structure makes a big difference. Consider the following:
A U.S. private equity firm buying a behavioral health group in India.
A Middle Eastern healthcare fund investing in a specialty surgical center in the Midwest.
A European strategic buyer acquiring a chain of veterinary clinics in Southeast Asia.
All of these involve regulatory, financial, and compliance complexity. ISO20022 reduces friction on every one of those fronts.
Why ISO20022 and Healthcare Transactions Matter Now More Than Ever
For years, cross-border deals in healthcare were hampered by:
Slow wire transfers delayed by legacy systems.
Lack of transaction transparency, raising red flags during diligence.
Compliance bottlenecks, especially around AML and KYC reviews.
Escrow and earnout complexity, particularly in multistage deals.
With ISO20022, these limitations are being removed, allowing for:
Faster deal closings.
Reliable tracking of payment tranches.
Cleaner integration of structured data into diligence workflows.
Reduced risk of payment failure or misallocation.
This is particularly relevant for sectors like dental roll-ups, medical spas, diagnostic labs, and outpatient surgical centers—all increasingly targets of global buyers.
Strategic Advantages of ISO20022 and Healthcare Transactions for M&A Advisors and Investors
For professionals in the healthcare M&A space, ISO20022 presents multiple tactical and strategic benefits.
1. Cleaner Wire Transfers with Embedded MetadataEvery wire now carries structured, tag-based information. This makes it easy to automate escrow release conditions, milestone triggers, and even reverse transactions in case of error—all vital in deals with seller financing or multi-phase closings.
2. Compliance Becomes an Accelerator, Not a BottleneckISO20022 supports automated AML/KYC screening through structured identity and purpose fields. For buyers acquiring licensed clinics or pharmacies, this reduces friction with regulatory filings and funding approvals.
3. Higher Confidence for International BuyersWhen a transaction includes transparent, traceable funds movement with no manual reconciliation, international buyers feel safer. That translates to faster yes/no decisions, especially for acquirers in the Middle East, Asia, and Europe who previously faced friction working with U.S.-based healthcare sellers.
4. Tokenization and Smart Escrow in the FutureThough still emerging, the IMF and BIS are laying groundwork for tokenized payments and digital central bank currencies (CBDCs) that align with ISO20022. Healthcare deals may soon benefit from programmable escrows that release funds upon EHR milestones, clinical KPIs, or licensing verification—all without lawyer intervention.
How ISO20022 and Healthcare Transactions Can Be Leveraged by Sellers
For healthcare sellers—dentists, physicians, veterinarians, or founders of multi-site outpatient platforms—this new financial plumbing is something to be aware of even if you’re not directly handling the payments.
Here's why:
Faster proceeds distribution: No more waiting days for wire settlements after close.
Improved deal certainty: Less likelihood of a wire being flagged or delayed, avoiding costly rework or loss of trust.
More global buyer interest: With ISO20022, your deal is easier for non-U.S. buyers to evaluate and fund, expanding your buyer pool.
Working with a seasoned advisor who understands these technical shifts can give you a substantial advantage when structuring your exit.
Future of ISO20022 and Healthcare Transactions: What’s Next?
By the end of 2025, ISO20022 will be the default for nearly all major payment systems worldwide, including SWIFT, Fedwire, and TARGET2. For healthcare M&A, this creates a backdrop where:
AI can analyze deal data faster.
Escrow platforms can sync with smart contract logic.
Global buyer pools can transact with fewer compliance delays.
In short, ISO20022 will become the invisible infrastructure enabling more agile, transparent, and secure healthcare transactions.
Final Thought: Why This Matters in Your Next Deal
Whether you're selling a regional diagnostic lab, merging hospitalist groups, or rolling up dental labs, understanding the impact of ISO20022 and healthcare transactions will help you reduce deal friction, improve close rates, and expand your buyer universe.
As an advisor involved in more than $750M in current sell mandates, I can attest: buyers are more comfortable moving quickly when transactions are clear, compliant, and cleanly executed. ISO20022 helps ensure that.
If you're considering selling your business in 2025 or beyond, let’s talk. I can provide a free valuation, walk you through buyer expectations, and help you understand how the new payment standards may improve your transaction’s outcome.
Dr. Allen Nazeri, aka "Dr. Allen," boasts over 30 years of global experience as a healthcare entrepreneur. He is the Managing Director at American Healthcare Capital and Managing Partner at PRIME exits. Dr. Allen provides strategic growth consulting to leadership teams of both privately held and publicly listed companies, ensuring their preparedness for successful exits.
He holds a Dental Degree from Creighton University and an MBA in M&A and Investment Banking from the University of Bedfordshire. Dr. Allen is the author of "Value Engineering: Strategies to 10X the Value of Your Clinic and Dominate the Market!" and the brand new book "Selling Your Healthcare Company at a Premium". Dr. Allen offers a free valuation to business owners ready for a partial or complete exit strategy. Dr. Allen collaborates with strategic buyers, private equity firms, and institutional investors, taking direct accountability for the annual successful sell-side representation of nearly $750M in enterprise value.
To have a confidential discussion about your company and receive a free valuation, please email Allen@ahcteam.com or Allen@ahcpexits.com
You can now communicate with Dr. Allen's clone https://www.delphi.ai/drallen
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