Justice Department sues to block UnitedHealth Group's $3.3 billion purchase of Amedisys

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Justice Department sues to block UnitedHealth Group's $3.3 billion purchase of Amedisys

2024-11-13 06:50 Last Updated At：07:00

NEW YORK (AP) — The Justice Department is suing to block UnitedHealth Group's $3.3 billion purchase of Amedisys, citing concerns the combination would hinder access to home health and hospice services in the U.S.

The antitrust complaint, filed in Maryland by the Justice Department and four states' attorneys general Tuesday, argues that a potential merger is illegal because the two companies are "such large competitors" already — and the deal would give UnitedHealth too much control in many local markets.

That would mean less choice for patients looking for affordable care, the suit alleges, as well as fewer employment options for nurses seeking competitive pay and benefits.

“American healthcare is unwell," Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s antitrust division, said in a prepared statement. “Unless this $3.3 billion transaction is stopped, UnitedHealth Group will further extend its grip to home health and hospice care, threatening seniors, their families and nurses.”

Tuesday's lawsuit follows UnitedHealth's acquisition of LHC Group Inc., another home health and hospice provider. Since that transaction's completion last year, the Justice Department said, UnitedHealth and Amedisys have emerged as two of the largest providers of home health and hospice care in the country.

The complaint alleges that UnitedHealth's plan to acquire Amedisys is the result of "an intentional, sustained strategy of acquiring, rather than beating, competition.” After completing the LHC acquisition, the suit says UnitedHealth prevented Amedisys' 2023 plans to merge with infusion provider OptionCare by paying a “breakup fee” — and then separately made its own acquisition offer, which Amedisys eventually accepted.

UnitedHealth is seeking to add Amedisys to Optum, its subsidiary that provides care as well as pharmacy and technology services. In a response Tuesday to the antitrust suit, Optum said the transaction “would be pro-competitive and further innovation.” It said it plans to “vigorously defend (itself) against the DOJ’s overreaching interpretation of the antitrust laws.”

Amedisys added that it also remains committed to the deal, which it believes “will create more opportunities to deliver quality, compassionate and value-based care to patients and their families.”

In details about the deal published on Optum's website, the company maintained Optum and Amedisys “would operate just a fraction" of all home health and hospice care markets nationwide when combined. Optum also noted plans to divest some of its care centers to home health provider VitalCaring upon the deal's completion. It said the divestments would aid competition but the Justice Department said that the proposal is inadequate.

Beyond its Optum unit, UnitedHealth Group also runs one of the nation’s largest health insurers, UnitedHealthcare. The Minnesota-based healthcare giant reported third-quarter net income of $6.06 billion on revenue of $100.82 billion.

Louisiana-based Amedisys reported third-quarter earnings of $16.9 million and a revenue of $587.7 million for the period.

Tuesday's lawsuit arrives in the final months of the Biden administration, which has been particularly aggressive in antitrust enforcement. In recent years, the Justice Department has also targeted companies accused of engaging in illegal monopolies and driving up prices across industries like entertainment, travel and tech.

The four states’ attorneys general joining Tuesday's suit against UnitedHealth and Amedisys are from Maryland, Illinois, New Jersey and New York.

Protests erupt in Paris over pro-Israel gala organized by far-right figures

2024-11-14 10:34 Last Updated At：10:40

PARIS (AP) — Protests erupted in Paris on Wednesday against a controversial gala organized by far-right figures in support of Israel. The event, intended to raise funds for the Israeli military, included Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich among its invited guests.

The demonstrations came on the eve of a high-stakes soccer match at France's national stadium against the Israeli national team, overshadowed by tensions around the wars in the Middle East. Authorities in Paris announced that more than 4,000 police officers and 1,600 stadium staff will be deployed for the game.

Smotrich, a vocal advocate of Israeli settlements, had been expected to attend Wednesday's gala, dubbed “Israel is Forever,” which was planned by an association of the same name. The group’s stated goal is to “mobilize French-speaking Zionist forces.”

After days of growing criticism of the event, Smotrich's office confirmed Wednesday that the minister would not travel to Paris to participate.

But the invitation to Smotrich drew sharp criticism from local associations, unions and left-wing political parties, prompting two protests in the French capital. The minister, a hard-line settler leader, has been accused of inflaming tensions in the West Bank and drew international condemnations this week by saying he hopes the election of Donald Trump will clear the way for Israeli annexation of the West Bank — a step that would extinguish Palestinian statehood dreams.

The French Foreign Ministry called Smotrich’s remarks “contrary to international law” and counterproductive to efforts to reduce regional tensions.

“France reiterates its commitment to the implementation of the two-state solution, with Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and security, which is the only prospect for a just and lasting settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” the ministry said in a statement.

Critics also pointed at Nili Kupfer-Naouri, president of the “Israel is Forever” association, who sparked outrage in 2023, after the Israel-Hamas war started, when she tweeted that “no civilian in Gaza was innocent.”

On Wednesday night, several hundred protesters marched through central Paris, denouncing the event as a “gala of hatred and shame.”

“Imagine if an association were hosting a gala for Hezbollah or Hamas — there’s no way the police would allow that,” said Melkir Saib, a 30-year-old protester. “The situation is just unfair.”

The march was largely peaceful, but some demonstrators broke windows at a McDonald's along the route.

A separate group, including Jewish leftist organizations opposed to racism and antisemitism, gathered near the Arc de Triomphe chanting slogans against the gala and Smotrich.

French authorities defended the event, with Paris police chief Laurent Nunez stating that the gala posed “no major threat to public order.”

The protests came days after tensions flared in Paris and Amsterdam related to the conflicts in the Mideast. A massive “Free Palestine” banner was displayed during a Paris Saint-Germain Champions League match against Atletico Madrid, while violence broke out in Amsterdam last week targeting fans of an Israeli soccer club.

Justice Department sues to block UnitedHealth Group's $3.3 billion purchase of Amedisys

TECH

Justice Department sues to block UnitedHealth Group's $3.3 billion purchase of Amedisys

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