
US antitrust regulators are closely examining the UnitedHealth Group proposal for US$8 billion to acquire data and healthcare company Change Healthcare, Bloomberg reported.
Department of Justice officials have asked officials from both companies for more information, and with the so-called second request, regulators will now have more time to review the proposed buyout, beyond the standard 30-day period.
The deal, if it goes through, would unite a major supplier of health-related information with one of the biggest US-based health services and insurance providers. The Biden administration has announced that it will be looking more closely at corporate mergers, including those in the healthcare industry.
Hospitals and other companies make use of Change Healthcare in order to submit claims and collect payment from insurers, and the company also offers ways for assessing if the appropriate healthcare was given to people.
UnitedHealth would fold Change Healthcare into its OptumInsight business, which boasts similar services. UnitedHealth also owns the country’s largest health insurer and has a burgeoning care-delivery arm encompassing over 50,000 physicians. The company reported revenues of US$257 billion in 2020, Bloomberg reports.
Critics of the proposed merger include the American Hospital Association, which said in a letter that the deal could reduce competition and end up resulting in patients having to pay more, along with lower quality clinical outcomes. The hospital group stated that the companies are the largest suppliers of some essential services like clearinghouses that rout claims to insurers for payment.
Featured News
On Witness Stand, Google CEO Challenges DOJ’s Proposed Remedies In Search Monopoly Case
Apr 30, 2025 by
CPI
Latham & Watkins Expands German Antitrust Practice
Apr 30, 2025 by
CPI
DoorDash, Grubhub, and Uber Eats Settle With NYC Over Cap Fees
Apr 30, 2025 by
CPI
Pork Giants Push to Overturn Price-Fixing Suit Citing Clerk’s Alleged Conflicts
Apr 30, 2025 by
CPI
Novartis to Acquire Regulus Therapeutics in $1.7 Billion Deal
Apr 30, 2025 by
CPI
Antitrust Mix by CPI
Antitrust Chronicle® – Mergers in Digital Markets
Apr 21, 2025 by
CPI
Catching a Killer? Six “Genetic Markers” to Assess Nascent Competitor Acquisitions
Apr 21, 2025 by
John Taladay & Christine Ryu-Naya
Digital Decoded: Is There More Scope for Digital Mergers In 2025?
Apr 21, 2025 by
Colin Raftery, Michele Davis, Sarah Jensen & Martin Dickson
AI In the Mix – An Ever-Evolving Approach to Jurisdiction Over Digital Mergers in Europe
Apr 21, 2025 by
Ingrid Vandenborre & Ketevan Zukakishvili
Antitrust Enforcement Errors Due to a Failure to Understand Organizational Capabilities and Dynamic Competition
Apr 21, 2025 by
Magdalena Kuyterink & David J. Teece