Institute for Health Care Business

What Institute for Health Care Business does

The Institute for Health Care Business GmbH (hcb) is an Essen-based, privately held German consulting and research firm founded in 2006 with the participation of RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung. The company is led by Managing Directors Prof. Dr. Boris Augurzky and Dr. Michaela Lemm and operates with a team of approximately 20 staff, including consultants, expert managers, a data-science lead, and a managing partner. Its mission is to create transparency in the German healthcare system through economic sub-market studies and to support strategic and operational transformation at healthcare providers.

The firm's core offerings are two annual benchmarking publications: the Krankenhaus Rating Report (Hospital Rating Report), produced continuously since 2006 and analyzing hundreds of German hospital balance sheets per edition (957 hospitals in the 2022 dataset across 540+544 annual accounts), and the Pflegeheim Rating Report, launched in 2020, covering German nursing homes. These reports are distributed via medhochzwei Verlag and developed in cooperation with RWI, Bank im Bistum Essen (BIB), HIMSS (healthcare IT), Curacon (auditing), and earlier editions with Deloitte. hcb generates additional revenue through project-based consulting engagements covering strategy development, business plan creation, operational reorganization, due diligence, financial benchmarking, and performance benchmarking for hospitals, hospital networks, rehabilitation facilities, nursing homes, banks, healthcare associations, and industry players. The firm also delivers commissioned policy research for clients such as the Bundesministerium für Gesundheit, Kassenärztliche Bundesvereinigung, and Krankenhausgesellschaft Nordrhein-Westfalen.

hcb's go-to-market is sales-led and thought-leadership driven: the annual reports and conference presentations at events such as the Hauptstadtkongress Medizin und Gesundheit and Gesundheitskongress des Westens generate awareness among hospital executives, ministry officials, banks, and investors. Pricing is project-based and not publicly disclosed. The firm maintains a XING profile and a professional website as primary digital channels. Geographic focus is Germany; the 2023 study trip to Finland signals exploratory interest but no operational footprint outside Germany. The customer base is broad and includes large German hospital networks (e.g., Vivantes, Universitätsklinikum Bonn, MHH, Klinikum Oldenburg, Bosch Krankenhaus), foundations (Stiftung Münch, Bertelsmann Stiftung), consulting-adjacent firms (Bain & Company), and large healthcare suppliers (Philips), suggesting a horizontal-segment strategy across the German healthcare value chain rather than vertical concentration in any single buyer type.

Name

Institute for Health Care Business

Legal name

Institute for Health Care Business GmbH

Website

https://hcb-institute.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Institute for Health Care Business (hcb GmbH) is an Essen, Germany-based healthcare consulting and economic-research firm founded in 2006, serving German hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, nursing homes, banks, associations, and policy bodies through annual rating reports, commissioned studies, and strategy and operational consulting.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Healthcare Consulting

NAICS

Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services (541611), Management Consulting Services (54161)

SIC

Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHLACAHAJ

Cost of Care, Spend Analytics & Financial Performance Management

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Digital Health & Health IT/Population Health Management & Value-Based Care Analytics

Keywords

• Healthcare consulting services
• Hospital economic analysis
• Healthcare market research
• Strategic healthcare advisory
• Rating report publishing

Headquarters

HQ city

Essen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Consulting Services: Strategic and operational consulting projects for healthcare providers, their business partners, and investors. Projects include strategy development, business plan development, organizational consulting, merger advisory, and feasibility studies.
2. Studies and Reports: Publication and sale of annual rating reports (Krankenhaus Rating Report, Pflegeheim Rating Report) and specialized healthcare studies. Reports are sold through the publishing house medhochzwei Verlag.
3. Research Reports for Third Parties: Commissioned research and studies for clients such as government ministries, healthcare associations, and foundations (e.g., Stiftung Münch, Bundesministerium für Gesundheit, Kassenärztliche Bundesvereinigung).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Institute for Health Care Business (hcb) is a German healthcare-focused consulting and research firm that produces annual economic rating reports (Krankenhaus Rating Report and Pflegeheim Rating Report) and delivers strategic and operational consulting to hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, nursing homes, banks, associations, and industry players. The company combines balance-sheet-based economic analysis with consulting engagements covering strategy development, due diligence, benchmarking, reorganization, and expert studies for the German healthcare system.

Product overview

Institute for Health Care Business (hcb) is a consulting and research company offering a portfolio of healthcare business analytics products and services. The core products are the annual Krankenhaus Rating Report (Hospital Rating Report) and Pflegeheim Rating Report (Nursing Home Rating Report), which provide economic analysis of German hospitals and nursing homes based on balance sheet data. These reports are complemented by specialized consulting services for hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, nursing homes, banks, associations, and industry. The consulting services include strategy development, organizational consulting, mergers and due diligence, and expert opinions. Additional publications cover topics such as hospital planning, digital transformation, emergency care, and investment promotion. The company also publishes books analyzing healthcare challenges and solutions, such as 'Die Gesundheit der Zukunft'. The portfolio is delivered through studies, reports, consulting projects, and publications, all focused on creating transparency in the German healthcare market.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Krankenhaus Rating Report (Hospital Rating Report) Annual published analysis of the economic situation of German hospitals based on balance sheet data, including financial ratings (red/yellow/green), profitability, investment conditions, staffing, and projections for the German hospital sector. Sold through medhochzwei Verlag.
• Pflegeheim Rating Report (Nursing Home Rating Report) Annual published analysis of the economic situation of German nursing homes, covering insolvency risk ratings, profitability trends, privatization, staffing shortages, and projections for the German nursing care market. Sold through medhochzwei Verlag.
• Hospital / Cluster Consulting Services Strategic consulting for hospitals and hospital groups covering strategy development, strategy plausibilization, strategy implementation, potential analyses, business plan development, operational organization, length-of-stay optimization, reorganization, (medical) due diligence, financial benchmarking, and performance benchmarking, plus expert opinions and studies.
• Rehabilitation Facility Consulting Consulting services for rehabilitation facilities covering strategy development, potential analyses, business plan development, operational organization concepts, reorganization, financial and performance benchmarking, and expert opinions/studies.
• Nursing Home Consulting Consulting services for nursing homes covering strategy, potential analyses, business plan development, operational organization concepts, reorganization, (medical) due diligence, financial and performance benchmarking, and expert opinions/studies.
• Bank Consulting (Healthcare Sector) Expert opinions and studies for banks active in the German healthcare sector, supporting credit decisions, risk assessment, and financial analysis of healthcare borrowers.
• Association Consulting Expert opinions and studies for healthcare associations, including policy-relevant research and sector analyses.
• Industry Consulting (Healthcare) Expert opinions and studies for healthcare industry companies (e.g., medical technology, pharmaceuticals, healthcare IT), supporting market assessment and strategic analysis.
• Investitionsbarometer NRW (Investment Barometer NRW) Commissioned research report examining hospital investment conditions in North Rhine-Westphalia, produced for the Krankenhausgesellschaft Nordrhein-Westfalen.
• Stand und Weiterentwicklung der Investitionsförderung im Krankenhausbereich (Expert Report on Hospital Investment Promotion) Expert report for the German Federal Ministry of Health analyzing the status and future development of investment promotion in the hospital sector.
• Notfallversorgung in Deutschland (Emergency Care in Germany) Project report for the Kassenärztliche Bundesvereinigung analyzing emergency care structures and challenges in Germany.
• Die Gesundheit der Zukunft (The Health of the Future) Book by hcb Managing Director Prof. Dr. Boris Augurzky analyzing central challenges in healthcare and presenting solution approaches for an affordable and sustainable German healthcare system.

Quantifiable outcome

• The Krankenhaus Rating Report 2022 analyzed 540 annual accounts from 2019 and 544 from 2020, covering 957 hospitals in total.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• RWI - Leibniz-Institut für WirtschaftsforschungcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006Original co-founder of hcb in 2006. Ongoing research partnership producing the annual Krankenhaus Rating Report and Pflegeheim Rating Report. RWI provides academic research methodology and institutional credibility while hcb provides consulting expertise and market access.
• Bank im Bistum Essen (BIB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing cooperation partner for the Krankenhaus Rating Report. Provides financial/banking perspective to the analysis of hospital economics. Reports are produced 'in Kooperation mit der Bank im Bistum Essen (BIB).'
• HIMSS (Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation partner for various rating reports including Krankenhaus Rating Report 2020 and 2021. HIMSS provides healthcare IT and digital health expertise to the reports, particularly regarding digitalization topics.
• DeloittemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation partner for earlier editions of the Krankenhaus Rating Report (2018, 2019 editions). Deloitte provides consulting expertise and industry knowledge.
• Stiftung MünchmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioned partner for studies on hospital transformation. hcb worked with Oberender AG on a project for Stiftung Münch examining new perspectives for small hospitals, resulting in three published brochures on converting hospitals rather than closing them.
• CuraconminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation partner for the Pflegeheim Rating Report 2020, providing auditing and accounting expertise.
• Oberender AGmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint project partner with hcb for the Stiftung Münch study on hospital transformation alternatives, combining both companies' consulting expertise.
• Bundesministerium für Gesundheit (Federal Ministry of Health)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioned expert report on 'Stand und Weiterentwicklung der Investitionsförderung im Krankenhausbereich' (Status and development of investment promotion in the hospital sector).
• Kassenärztliche Bundesvereinigung (National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioned project report on emergency care in Germany ('Notfallversorgung in Deutschland').
• Krankenhausgesellschaft Nordrhein-WestfalenmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioned research project 'Investitionsbarometer NRW' examining hospital investment in North Rhine-Westphalia.
• medhochzwei VerlagminorOthersPublishing house partner for the distribution and sale of rating reports and healthcare publications.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Bain & Company: Global consultancy with a healthcare and provider strategy practice. Bain's logo appears in hcb's customer/referral set and competes for hospital strategy and due diligence engagements in Germany.
• Roland Berger: German-founded global management consultancy with a substantial healthcare strategy practice serving hospital groups, payers, and pharma. Competes for the same German hospital strategy and reorganization mandates but at much greater scale.
• Boston Consulting Group: Global strategy consultancy with a deep healthcare practice that advises hospital systems, payers, and governments on transformation. Overlaps with hcb on strategy and reorganization mandates in the German provider sector.
• Deloitte: Global consulting firm whose healthcare practice was a named cooperation partner on the Krankenhaus Rating Report in 2018 and 2019 and now competes as an incumbent for German provider consulting engagements.
• KPMG (Healthcare Practice): Global professional services firm with a healthcare advisory practice advising German and European hospital operators on strategy, transactions, and transformation.
• McKinsey & Company: Global consultancy with a long-established German healthcare systems practice advising hospitals, payers, and government. Overlaps with hcb on hospital strategy, transformation, and economic analysis engagements at much broader scale.

Direct peers

• Oberender AG: Munich-based healthcare strategy consulting firm that was hcb's explicit joint project partner on the Stiftung Münch hospital transformation study. Closest comparable in scale, niche, and German healthcare focus.
• WIdO (Wissenschaftliches Institut der AOK): Research institute of the AOK sickness fund system, producing German healthcare economic analyses and quality/spend studies. Comparable as an independent German healthcare economics research and benchmarking producer.
• IGES Institut: Berlin-based research and consulting institute focused on healthcare economics, infrastructure and policy in Germany. Direct overlap in healthcare economic analysis, market studies, and consulting for providers and associations.

Others

• RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung: Economic research institute in Essen that co-founded hcb and remains a core ongoing partner on the Rating Reports. Not a competitor but a foundational ecosystem participant whose continued involvement shapes hcb's research credibility.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hcb-gmbh

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Institute for Health Care Business