M&A

From Centene signing an agreement to sell Circle Health Group, to the Justice Department scrutinizing UnitedHealth Group's proposed acquisition of Amedisys, here are eight payer merger and acquisition updates Becker's has reported since June 22:     

Managed healthcare and health insurance company Centene signed an agreement to sell Circle Health Group, an operator of 53 U.K. hospitals, for $1.2 billion.

Three payer acquisition deals have come under scrutiny by state or federal officials in August: 

Public hearings on Elevance Health's proposed acquisition of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana have been postponed after state officials raised concerns about the sale. 

State and federal regulators have approved a joint venture between CareSource and Health Alliance Plan. 

Insurance regulators in Vermont have rolled out two separate review processes for the proposed affiliation between Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, VTDigger reported Aug. 16.

Three Louisiana state senators and the attorney general are calling for a delay of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana's sale to Elevance Health, nola.com reported Aug. 16. 

As UnitedHealth Group nears clearance from regulatory scrutiny in one acquisition, it is experiencing more of it in another. 

The U.K.'s Competition and Markets Authority has given UnitedHealth a provisional OK in response to the company's proposed acquisition of the health technology firm EMIS Group.

Optum's proposed $3.29 billion acquisition of home health provider Amedisys is facing scrutiny from the Justice Department, according to an Aug. 10 regulatory filing.