DOJ Sues to Block UnitedHealth’s $3.3 Billion Acquisition of Amedisys

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), joined by attorneys general from Maryland, Illinois, New Jersey, and New York, filed a lawsuit on Nov. 12 to block UnitedHealth Group’s proposed $3.3 billion acquisition of Amedisys Inc., a leading home health and hospice services provider. According to a press release from the DOJ, the government alleges that the merger would eliminate competition between UnitedHealth and Amedisys, potentially harming patients, insurers, and health care workers in these critical markets. “We are challenging this merger because home health and hospice patients and their families experiencing some of the most difficult moments of their lives deserve affordable, high quality care options,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said. “The Justice Department will not hesitate to check unlawful consolidation and monopolization in the healthcare market that threatens to harm vulnerable patients, their families, and health care workers.”...