minneapolis —Minnesota-based UnitedHealth Group Inc. is the focus of an antitrust lawsuit filed Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Justice.
A spokesperson for UnitedHealth told WCCO that the lawsuit involves 33 cases of Amedisys, a Louisiana-based company that is one of the nation's largest home health and hospice care providers, and Amedisys, a major health insurance company. It has been confirmed that the deal includes a $1 billion takeover offer.
Bloomberg News reported The lawsuit comes despite the companies' joint proposal to sell more than 100 clinics to a Texas-based competitor, despite a meeting last weekend between the Justice Department and the heads of both health care companies over antitrust issues. He was woken up several days later after he could not shake off his concerns about the possibility of
Jim Mone/AP
LHC Group, a business UnitedHealth acquired in 2023, said the Department of Justice said the acquisition could “lead to higher prices for home health care in regions where Amedisys is a major competitor,” according to a Bloomberg report. He says he is thinking about it. Both companies operate in many of the same states. in the south.
This is not the first time the Justice Department has targeted UnitedHealth. Just two years ago, the company lost a lawsuit against the company over its acquisition of IT company Change Healthcare. February cyberattack allegedly cost UnitedHealth $872 million by Lack of multi-factor authentication. Paid by UnitedHealth Bitcoin ransom worth $22 million.
Amedisys stock fell Tuesday on news of the upcoming lawsuit. A UnitedHealth spokesperson issued the following statement to WCCO on Tuesday:
“The combination with Amedisys [subsidiary company] Optum will drive competition and further innovation, leading to improved patient outcomes and greater access to quality care. We will firmly defend the Department of Justice against its overreaching interpretation of antitrust laws. ”
Over 47 million Americans Get health insurance through UnitedHealth.
