UnitedHealth to meet with DOJ next week to try to save Amedisys deal – Bloomberg

UnitedHealth (UNH) and Amedisys (NASDAQ:AMED) are expected to meet with Dept. of Justice officials in a final effort to persuade the agency to not file a lawsuit to block its proposed deal.

The meeting between the companies and DOJ antitrust leadership, including head Jonathan Kanter, is usually a last measure before the agency decides to file a lawsuit and the event is usually known as a “last-rites” meeting, according to a Bloomberg report on Friday, which cited people familiar with the matter.

It’s possible that the DOJ antitrust officials bless the combination with the home health-care provider, potentially with some alternations to address some concerns, according to the report. The timing of the meeting could still change. The sides have talked about having a meeting as soon as Monday.

The DOJ needs to decide on whether to file a lawsuit or approve the deal by the end of the month under an agreement it made with the companies, according to the Bloomberg report. The companies have said they expect the deal to be completed by the end of the year.

UnitedHealth and the DOJ declined to comment to Bloomberg. Amedisys didn’t respond to requests for comment.

Amedisys (AMED) agreed to a $101 a share sale to UnitedHealth in late June of last year, Amedisys announced in August 2023 that it received a request from the DOJ for more information regarding its planned sale to UnitedHealth (UNH).

UnitedHealth (UNH) in late June announced an agreement with VitalCaring Group to sell some of the two companies’ healthcare centers. The divestiture is being done to appease Department of Justice antitrust concerns over the more than $3B deal.

The sale of Amedisys (AMED) may not be able to completed until at least the end of November, as it also needs approval from the Oregon Health Authority. Last month, the Oregon regulator disclosed that it expects to complete its review by the end of November.