DOJ Forces UnitedHealth to Shed 164 Sites in $3.3 B Amedisys Deal

UnitedHealth Group Inc. and home-health provider Amedisys Inc. have reached a proposed settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice that would allow their contested $3.3 billion merger to proceed, according to court filings and a DOJ statement. To resolve antitrust concerns, the companies agreed to divest 164 home-health and hospice locations across 19 states, a package the department said represents the largest outpatient-care divestiture it has required. The agreement also calls for Amedisys to pay a $1.1 million civil penalty for what the DOJ described as a false certification during the agency’s merger review. The deal, first announced in 2023 and later challenged by federal antitrust officials, will move forward once the court approves the consent decree and an independent buyer for the divested sites is secured.