Doj: UHG, Amedisys must give up 164 locations for the acquisition to proceed

After a multi -year battle, the acquisition of 3.3 billion dollars of the health provider at home amedisys by Optum from United of Eldhealth Group could finally pass.

The Ministry of Justice (DOJ) concluded a draft settlement with Unitedhealth Group and Amedisys about the Agreement, the agency announced on Thursday.

The proposed regulations must still be approved by a judge. Unitedhealth and Amedisys should exceed 164 home health and palliative care sites in 19 states in Brightspring Health Services or Pennant Group, which are both home health companies. This represents approximately $ 528 million in annual income and is the largest disinvestment in ambulatory health services to resolve a merger challenge, the DOJ.

“In no sector of our economy, competition is more important for the well-being of Americans than health care. This regulation protects quality and price competition for hundreds of thousands of vulnerable patients and wage competition for thousands of nurses, “said deputy prosecutor Abigail Slater of the antitrust division of the Ministry of Justice, in a statement.

Unitedhealth may also be required to exceed eight other installations if it cannot obtain approval for the sale of related assets. In addition, the agreement also installs an instructor to supervise the disinvestment process and ensure compliance. And Amedisys will pay a penalty of $ 1.1 million and will form its leadership on antitrust rules after having falsely certified that it had fully responded to requests for federal documents.

The UNITEDHEALTH GROUP OptUM announced for the first time plans for the agreement in 2023, but the DOJ filed a complaint in November to block the acquisition, arguing that it would remove competition between Unitedhealth and Amedisys due to the previous acquisition of Unitedhealth of Home Health and Hospice Company LHC Group. Unitedhealth and Amedisys have made other disinvestments in the past in the hope of concluding the agreement – including an agreement for VitalCaring – but they were not sufficient.

In response to the proposed regulations, an Optum spokesperson said that the company was “happy to have reached a resolution and that we are grateful for the cooperation of the Ministry of Justice. With Amedisys, we are impatient to pursue significant improvements in the health space at home and palliative care, a vital part of our value-based approach.”

A spokesperson for Amedisys noted that the merger with Optum “will mark an important step in the growth and continuous evolution of Amedisys. This strategic alignment represents an important step in our mission to provide exceptional care and innovative solutions within the home of more patients and families. ”

While Unitedhealth and Amedisys seem satisfied with the proposed regulations, others are concerned with the impact on patients with palliative care and nurses. This includes the American Economic Liberties Project, a non -profit organization that fights monopolistic societies.

The organization maintains that disinvestments in Brightspring and Pennant create a new set of problems. Brightspring belongs to the KKR capital-investment company, which is currently dealing with a distinct antittrute trial of the Doj. In addition, the inspections of its group houses for people with intellectual disability and development have found serious violations involving abuses, negligence and sub-employed caregivers. One of the owners of the pennant group is ascent of the health system, which previously settled with the DOJ on discrimination linked to immigration.

“These regulations … Caves To Unitedhealth Group, one of the most dangerous monopolists of American health care,” said Emma Freer, analyst of main health care policies in the American Economic Liberties project. “He claims to give up health care providers and palliative care in the overlapping markets, but, in reality, gives them up to buyers in equally conflictual conflict, including a highly launched capital-investment company.

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