UnitedHealth Group and Change Healthcare are one step closer to completing the planned $13.5 billion merger.
In the Wednesday file, Change Healthcare disclosed that these companies have “proved that they have substantially met” the Department of Justice (DOJ) antitrust authority’s requirements for more information. The two companies agreed not to complete the transaction before February 22, 2022, unless the Department of Justice ends the investigation before then.
Two companies The merger was first announced as early as January, United Health plans to acquire Change Healthcare for $25.75 per share in cash. The company will become part of UnitedHealth’s OptumInsight health services business, adding to its data analysis, research, and revenue cycle management capabilities.
this DOJ investigates The March transaction, after the American Hospital Association Warned that the deal would reduce competition In the field of health IT services, and integrate a large amount of health data owned by the two companies.
By complying with DOJ requirements, the two companies have brought the transaction one step closer to completion.
Usually, at this time, the company must wait one month to complete the transaction, during which The Justice Department must decide whether to challenge the merger. But in this case, UnitedHealth and Change have reached an agreement with the agency to wait 120 days before they merge after obtaining compliance certification.
Although this is an important step in the process, it does not necessarily mean that the merger is complete. Regulators can still sue injunctions to prevent acquisitions.
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