UnitedHealth’s surprising new target: Struggling Steward’s physician group Tara Bannow By Tara Bannow April 1, 2024

https://www.statnews.com/2024/04/01/unitedhealth-steward-physicians-acquistion/?utm_campaign=morning_rounds&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=300634896&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9Oel8XN1q6jjLzzZAcJ9jjTcxESOK1_W5PLj2iuoo4SmDdK93nQFGBuu76kt1EEfOAWB-C0zNnHJla4_hqJ8wpeA0B0g&utm_content=300634896&utm_source=hs_email What experts say about UnitedHealth Group’s plan to buy Steward’s doctors group UnitedHealth Group and Steward Health Care have been in the news a lot of late. For the Minnesota conglomerate, the focus has been coverage of its recent cyberattack and an earlier controversy over an algorithm to cut off care. For Steward, there have been revelations about deepening financial problems. Now the two entities are connected by word last week of UnitedHealth’s proposed deal to acquire Stewardship Health, the physician arm of for-profit Steward Health Care, and roll it into its Optum subsidiary. Neither of the two famously secretive companies would share details on the plan, including the purchase price, with STAT’s Tara Bannow, but analysts shared their thoughts. Jeff Goldsmith of the consultancy Health Futures was surprised: “It’s a signal that maybe they’re running out of deals.” Whit Mayo of Leerink Partners was not: “They’ll buy anything not nailed down.” More spicy takes here.