The Justice Department filed an antitrust lawsuit Thursday challenging UnitedHealth Group’s $13 billion acquisition of health-technology firm Change Healthcare, arguing the tie-up would unlawfully reduce competition in markets for commercial insurance and the processing of claims, The Wall Street Journal reports.
UHG’s Optum unit announced plans back in January 2021 to buy Change Healthcare for $13 billion, or $7.84 billion in cash plus about $5 billion in debt. That transaction was initially expected to be completed in the second half of 2021. The deal sought to bring a major provider of healthcare clinical and financial services, including the handling of claims, under UnitedHealth’s Optum health-services arm.
UnitedHealth said it will fight the suit, calling the DOJ’s stance on the matter “deeply flawed.”
Change Healthcare in an SEC filing last week said it planned to close the deal with UnitedHealth by this Sunday if the DOJ did not file litigation to stop them. Read more.
