Carlos Jaureguizar, CEO of Sanitas, announced the company is abandoning new public-private healthcare collaborations due to their extreme complexity. The insurer plans to invest 550 million euros in three new private hospitals in Madrid, Barcelona, and Palma. The focus shifts to the private sector to enhance efficiency and accessibility.
Carlos Jaureguizar, Sanitas CEO since January 2026, outlined the company's expansion plans in an EL PAÍS interview, as Spain's second-largest health insurer under Bupa group. "Public-private collaboration in healthcare is extremely complex, which is why we have renounced it," Jaureguizar stated.
Sanitas will invest nearly 550 million euros in three new hospitals in Madrid, Barcelona, and Palma, adding to the Valdebebas facility. About one-third of its policyholders receive care in company-owned centers, with over 90% of patients there being Sanitas clients. The firm prefers building from scratch with partners like Mapfre and Colonial rather than acquiring existing ones.
On past ventures, Sanitas managed Manises hospital for 15 years, treating over 200,000 patients with excellent clinical and satisfaction results, but now considers that chapter closed. It has paid 246 million euros to Valencia's regional government, with remaining adjustments for 2023 and 2024 under judicial review. Jaureguizar noted the challenges of long-term contracts amid changes like new diseases or technologies.
In digital health, Sanitas has conducted over 100,000 online consultations, including 20,000 dermatology ones resolved in 85% of cases via video. It is also launching Sanitas University with Universidad Europea de Madrid to train healthcare professionals, aiding the broader system.
