Amedisys Shareholders Approve Sale to Optum

Shareholders of Amedisys Inc. (NASDAQ: AMED) have voted in favor of the company’s pending acquisition by the UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) subsidiary Optum. Optum in June penned a deal to acquire Amedisys in an all-cash transaction of $101 per share, or about $3.3 billion. The transaction followed a previous offer to acquire Amedisys by the […]

The Most Significant Hospice Deals So Far in 2023

Thus far in 2023, hospice merger and acquisition activity has deviated from prior years. This year is distinctive because of factors such as valuations, asset sizes and the mix of buyers. A number of trends have shifted. The last five years saw record-breaking multiples in the hospice space and private equity-backed platform deals were among […]

Enhabit Begins Mulling Strategic Alternatives, Possible Sale

Enhabit Inc. (NYSE: EHAB) has confirmed that it will begin considering “strategic alternatives” that could include a potential sale or merger. The Dallas-based home health and hospice provider announced today that it had satisfied the conditions of its Tax Matters Agreement (TMA) with its former parent company Encompass Health (NYSE: EHC). Enhabit emerged from the […]

Justice Department’s Amedisys-Optum Inquiry Reflects Growing Antitrust Concerns

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) will investigate potential antitrust violations in the UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) subsidiary Optum’s forthcoming acquisition of Amedisys, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMED). To date, neither Amedisys nor Optum have been accused of any wrongdoing. The DOJ performed a similar investigation when Optum acquired the health care technology company Change Healthcare earlier this […]

Regulatory Pressures Contributing to M&A Slump

Regulatory challenges have contributed to the hospice sector’s current M&A slump, but this year’s volume nevertheless aligns with experts’ forecasts. In addition to those pressures, the industry is also in a cooling period in which companies focus on integrating the assets that many acquired during flurries of activity in 2021 and 2022, according to Mark […]

Dr. Amar Desai Takes Helm at Optum Health as New CEO

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) subsidiary Optum Health recently tapped Dr. Amar Desai as its new CEO. The change in leadership comes on the heels of Optum Health’s growing presence in the hospice and home health landscape. The company has acquired two of the nation’s largest providers — LHC Group and Amedisys Inc. (NASDAQ: AMED) — […]

UnitedHealth Group CEO Offers Update on Amedisys Deal: ‘We’re Now in The Very Early Stages of That Process’

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) has been relatively quiet on its strategic plans with Amedisys (NASDAQ: AMED), which it is in the process of acquiring via its subsidiary, Optum. The company shed some light on how the home health and hospice asset will fit into its overall scope of services Friday, however. Optum announced plans to […]

[UPDATED] Optum Swoops in to Buy Amedisys in $3.3 Billion Transaction

The UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) subsidiary Optum has penned a deal to acquire Amedisys (NASDAQ: AMED) in an all-cash transaction of $101 per share, or about $3.3 billion. The pending transaction followings a previous offer to aquire Amedisys by the home infusion company Option Care Health (NASDAQ: OPCH) for $3.6 billion. “We are excited about […]

What New Allegations that HCA Healthcare Pressured Patients Mean for Hospices

Recent allegations that staff at HCA Healthcare (NYSE: HCA) put pressure on patients to enter hospice dovetail with longstanding questions over how and when patients should be referred. A recent report from the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) alleges that HCA has pressured clinicians to inappropriately “push” patients and families to accept hospice referrals. The […]

Minority Investor Pushing for Enhabit Sale

A minority investor in Enhabit Inc. (NYSE: EHAB) is urging the hospice and home health provider to consider a “full and fair sale process.” The investor – New York-based hedge fund AREX Capital Management, which holds about 4.5% of the shares of Enhabit – brought up the sale idea in a letter sent to the […]