UnitedHealth Must Sell Maryland Facilities Under Multistate Merger Settlement

According to the Maryland Attorney General’s Office, a proposed settlement will require UnitedHealth Group to sell multiple home health and hospice facilities — including five in Maryland — to address antitrust concerns over its $3.3 billion acquisition of Amedisys, Inc. The agreement, filed jointly with a coalition of states and the U.S. Department of Justice, is intended to preserve competition in the home health sector, which could help keep services affordable and accessible for Maryland residents.

The decree calls for the divestiture of at least 164 facilities across 19 states, representing about $528 million in annual revenue, making it the largest outpatient healthcare services divestiture ever required to settle a merger challenge. In Maryland, the order impacts locations in areas such as Salisbury. If UnitedHealth cannot secure regulatory approval for the sale of certain sites, it will be required to divest eight additional locations.

The settlement also imposes an independent monitor to oversee compliance and ensures that buyers receive the assets, staff, and relationships necessary to compete effectively. Amedisys will additionally pay a $1.1 million civil penalty for providing inaccurate information during the federal merger review process. The proposed agreement will be published in the Federal Register, and the public will have 60 days to submit comments before a federal judge in Maryland decides whether to finalize the settlement.

Article by multiple contributors, based upon information from the Maryland Attorney General’s Office

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