Justice Department Sues to Block UnitedHealth Acquisition

A civil antitrust lawsuit filed on November 12, 2024 by the Justice Department, along with the Attorneys General of Maryland, Illinois, New Jersey, and New York, seeks to block the acquisition of Amedisys Inc. by UnitedHealth Group. As Amedisys and UnitedHealth Group are two of the largest providers of home health and hospice services, the plaintiffs contend that the proposed $3.3 billion acquisition would harm patients, insurers, and the nurses providing the services if competition between the two parties is eliminated. In addition to seeking to block the transaction, the Justice Department is seeking civil penalties against Amedisys under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976.