UnitedHealth Group to Buy Outpatient Surgery Chain for $2.3 Billion

January 2017 ~

UnitedHealth Group on January 12 announced that its health services unit Optum has agreed to acquire Surgical Care Affiliates (SCA).

The deal is expected to close within the first six months of 2017. Totaling at approximately $2.3 billion, Optum would acquire SCA for $57 per share, with between 51% and 80% paid in stock and the rest will be paid out in cash.

The acquisition would make SCA part of the OptumCare platform, a primary and urgent care delivery service that works with more than 80 health plans.

Vice chair of UnitedHealth and CEO of Optum, Larry Renfro said in a statement, “Combining SCA and OptumCare will enable us to continue the transition to high-quality, high-value ambulatory surgical care, partnering with the full range of health systems, medical groups, and health plans.”

UnitedHealth states Optum’s intention is to provide primary care and ambulatory services in 75 markets, which account for roughly two-thirds of the U.S. population. As of November 2016, Optum had clinical practices in 26 markets. Under the acquisition, Optum would add 205 surgical facilities, which SCA operates in partnership with thousands of surgeons in 33 states.

Source(s): The New York Times; Reuters; American Health Line; Modern Healthcare; UnitedHealth Group;