UnitedHealth To Buy Physician Group In Latest Move Promising To Shake Up Traditional Health Landscape
Following on the heels of the announcement of the proposed CVS-Aetna merger, the deal is the latest to show how health care companies are adapting to an increasingly uncertain industry.
The New York Times:
UnitedHealth Buys Large Doctors Group As Lines Blur In Health Care
In another example of the blurring boundaries in the health care industry, UnitedHealth Group, one of the nation’s largest insurers, said on Wednesday that it is buying a large physician group to add to its existing roster of 30,000 doctors. UnitedHealth’s Optum unit will acquire the physician group from DaVita, a large for-profit chain of dialysis centers, for about $4.9 billion in cash, subject to regulatory approval. DaVita operates nearly 300 clinics across a half-dozen states, including California and Florida. (Abelson, 12/6)
Modern Healthcare:
UnitedHealth's Optum To Buy DaVita Medical Group For $4.9 Billion
DaVita Medical Group's physician network provides care to approximately 1.7 million patients every year via its 300 clinics in California, Colorado, Florida, Nevada, New Mexico and Washington state. The group also runs 35 urgent-care centers and six outpatient surgery centers. "Combining DaVita Medical Group and Optum advances our shared goal of supporting physicians in delivering exceptional patient care in innovative and efficient ways while working with more than 300 healthcare payers across Optum in ways that better meet the needs of their members," Optum CEO Larry C. Renfro said in a statement. (Teichert, 12/6)
Bloomberg:
UnitedHealth Buys DaVita's Doctor Groups For $4.9 Billion
“Combining DaVita Medical Group and Optum advances our shared goal of supporting physicians in delivering exceptional patient care in innovative and efficient ways,” Larry Renfro, chief executive officer of Optum, said in a statement Wednesday.(Tracer, 12/6)