Press Statement  HPC ISSUES STATEMENT ON PRELIMINARY REVIEW OF ATRIUS-OPTUM TRANSACTION

Statement from the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission on its preliminary review of the Atrius-Optum transaction:

“Yesterday, the HPC notified Atrius Health and Optum that it has completed the preliminary review of their proposed transaction and has elected not to proceed to a full cost and market impact review (CMIR). During its review, the HPC examined the potential impact of the acquisition on health care spending and market functioning in Massachusetts using available data and information.

“While the proposed Atrius-Optum transaction represents a significant change to the Massachusetts health care market, the HPC’s preliminary review did not uncover sufficient evidence that the transaction is likely to significantly increase health care spending or negatively impact market functioning such that a full CMIR is warranted at this time.

“While the HPC is not pursuing a full CMIR, questions about future market conduct remain, and the behavior and performance of Optum, its physician group affiliates, and UnitedHealthcare (with which Optum is affiliated) will be closely monitored by the HPC to assess any future impact on health care spending and market dynamics in Massachusetts. In addition, the HPC will be communicating with the Office of the Massachusetts Attorney General, which has authority to monitor health care market trends and approve the sale of charitable assets to a for-profit entity, noting areas of potential concern that warrant scrutiny and ongoing monitoring.”