UnitedHealth Group closed its acquisition of Lafayette, La.-based home health firm LHC Group on Feb. 22, nearly 11 months after the proposed acquisition was announced. Here is a timeline of the deal:

Elevance Health agreed to pay $2.5 billion for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana, its first state Blue Cross Blue Shield acquisition in over 15 years, Bloomberg reported Feb. 27. 

UnitedHealth Group has closed on its $5.4 billion acquisition of home health firm LHC Group.

LHC Group's stock will be halted immediately following the after-hours session on Feb. 22, according to a Feb. 16 notice from Nasdaq. The delisting comes as the home health company's acquisition by UnitedHealth is tentatively scheduled to close prior to the market open Feb. 23, subject to pending regulatory approval. 

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana will use funds from its acquisition by Elevance Health to establish a $3 billion foundation to address health equity and will disperse payments to some members, The Advocate reported Feb. 15. 

Elevance Health has closed its acquisition of specialty pharmacy BioPlus. 

These are six recent updates around payer mergers and acquisitions reported by Becker's since Jan. 12:

CVS Health has reported $4.2 billion in 2022 profit and said it will acquire primary care company Oak Street Health in an all-cash deal worth $10.6 billion.

The Federal Trade Commission is not expected to challenge UnitedHealth Group's acquisition of home health firm LHC Group, Seeking Alpha reported Jan. 31, citing a CTFN report. 

The Federal Trade Commission is reviewing UnitedHealth Group's planned purchase of home health firm LHC Group under a "potential vertical harm theory," Seeking Alpha reported Jan. 26, citing traders and a Capitol Forum report.

Elevance Health expects to add 1.6 million members and $4.5 billion in revenue from its acquisition of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana, according to a Jan. 25 earnings call with investors. 

Elevance Health will acquire Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana, adding the Baton Rouge-based payer's 1.9 million members to its Anthem Blue Cross brand. 

Centene has completed its divestiture of Magellan Specialty Health to healthcare administration company Evolent Health. 

The U.K.'s Competition and Markets Authority is investigating UnitedHealth Group's proposed acquisition of the health technology firm EMIS Group, Seeking Alpha reported Jan. 20. 

Sentara Healthcare has finalized its acquisition of nonprofit health plan AvMed.

From the merging of two payers to multibillion-dollar acquisitions, these are seven M&A updates involving payers reported by Becker's since Nov. 17:

BCBS Michigan subsidiary AF Group completed its purchase of Southfield, Mich.-based AmeriTrust Group for an undisclosed amount on Jan. 3.

An analyst likened the current payer merger and acquisition environment to an "arms race," during a Nov. 3 Cigna investor call. 

Two nonprofit payers, SCAN Group and CareOregon, plan to combine under the name HealthRight group. 

From a planned buy of home health firm LHC Group for $5.4 billion to previously undisclosed purchases in Oregon, these are six provider acquisitions by Optum reported by Becker's in 2022: