UnitedHealth To Take Over California Physician Group

Last week, Minnesota-based UnitedHealth Group announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire the management arm of Monarch HealthCare, a 2,300-member independent practice association in Irvine. The deal involves UnitedHealth's Optum health services division, which also has taken over management operations of two other southern California groups: AppleCare Medical Group and Memorial HealthCare Independent Practice Association. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

• "UnitedHealth's Optum Division To Take On Functions for California Physicians Group" (Crosby, Minneapolis Star Tribune, 8/31).
• "UnitedHealth Buys California Group of 2,300 Doctors" (Wilde Mathews, Wall Street Journal, 9/1).
• "UnitedHealth To Acquire Monarch HealthCare" (Blesch, Modern Healthcare, 8/31).