WASHINGTON—The Justice Department filed an antitrust lawsuit Thursday challenging UnitedHealth Group Inc.’s $13 billion acquisition of health-technology firm Change Healthcare Inc., arguing the tie-up would unlawfully reduce competition.
The deal, announced in January 2021, sought to bring a major provider of healthcare clinical and financial services, including the handling of claims, under UnitedHealth’s Optum health-services arm. The combination had drawn concerns from the American Medical Association and strong opposition from the National Community Pharmacists Association and the hospital industry, which argued that the deal would concentrate too much unique data and power in the hands of UnitedHealth and reduce or eliminate competition in some important sectors.
