10 payer M&A updates

UnitedHealth Group is reportedly considering picking up the third-largest ambulatory surgical center operator in the U.S., and is awaiting approval of its proposed acquisition of home health provider Amedisys. 

Elevance Health is also making more moves into the provider space, launching a joint primary care venture with private equity firm Clayton, Dubliner & Rice. Humana has also moved to open clinics in former Walmart Health sites. 

Here are 10 payer M&A updates Becker's has reported since May 22: 

1. UnitedHealth Group is among the potential buyers of ambulatory surgical center operator Surgery Partners according to Bloomberg, who cited sources close to the matter. Surgery Partners is the third-largest ASC operator in the U.S. 
   
   
2. Elevance Health dropped out of the process to bid for healthcare software company Evolent Health. 
   
   
3. Elevance Health is launching Mosaic Health, a primary care venture with private equity firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice. The financial terms of the partnership were not disclosed.
   
   
4. Centene will sell Collaborative Health Systems, a management services subsidiary, to Astrana Health for an undisclosed amount.
   
   
5. Humana will open primary care clinics at 23 former Walmart Health sites. Walmart will lease the sites to Humana. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. 
   
   
6. Molina Healthcare plans to acquire ConnectiCare, a subsidiary of EmblemHealth, for $350 million. ConnectiCare has around 140,000 members in Medicare, marketplace and commercial products. 
   
   
7. Amedisys and UnitedHealth Group agreed to sell an unknown number of care centers to VitalCaring Group amid the companies planned merger later this year. Optum announced its intent to acquire Amedisys for $3.3 billion in June 2023. The deal is still under review by the Justice Department. 
   
   
8. Priority Health plans to acquire Physicians Health Plan of Northern Indiana, a Fort Wayne-based payer with more than 52,000 members in Indiana and Ohio. The deal is expected to close in 2024. 
   
   
9. Optum sold its workers' compensation Settlement Solutions business to ExamWorks Compliance Solutions. 
   
   
10. The Lifetime Healthcare Co., parent company of insurers Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield and Univera, plans to merge with Capital District Physicians Health Plan. If approved, the merger would create an organization of nearly 2 million members and 6,000 employees.