A federal judge unsealed his opinion on Wednesday in the case that allows UnitedHealth Group to buy Change Healthcare in a $13 billion deal that expands the healthcare giant’s reach in the sector.
Judge Carl Nichols said each step of the DOJ’s arguments had “serious flaws” and that it relied on “speculation” rather than real-world evidence to prove its antitrust claims, Healthcare Dive reports.
The most serious flaws were failing to prove that UnitedHealth is likely to misuse Change Healthcare’s data to advantage the company, a move that would ultimately chill innovation among rivals, Nichols said. Read more.
