Photo: ER Productions Limited/Getty Images

照片：ER Productions Limited/Getty Images

UnitedHealth Group is one of several potential buyers of Surgery Partners, an operator of ambulatory surgical centers, and negotiations on a potential deal are still in the nascent phase, Bloomberg reported.

据彭博社报道，联合健康集团（UnitedHealth Group）是门诊手术中心运营商Surgery Partners的几家潜在买家之一，关于潜在交易的谈判仍处于初级阶段。

Surgery Partners is the third-largest ASC operator in the country, and private equity firms are reportedly also interested in buying the chain, with TPG expressing particular interest.

Surgery Partners是该国第三大ASC运营商，据报道，私人股本公司也有意购买该连锁店，TPG表示特别感兴趣。

At this point, a deal is not guaranteed, though Surgery Partners' stock did increase 18% after it was revealed that UHG and TPG are potential suitors, found a report in Seeking Alpha.

在寻找Alpha的一份报告中发现，尽管在UHG和TPG被发现是潜在的追求者后，手术合作伙伴的股票确实上涨了18%，但目前还不能保证达成协议。

Any potential transaction amounts have not been disclosed, though some estimate Surgery Partners' value at between $3.6 and $4.3 billion, according to Bloomberg.

据彭博社报道，尽管一些人估计手术合作伙伴的价值在36亿至43亿美元之间，但尚未披露任何潜在的交易金额。

Private equity firm Bain Capital is Surgery Partners' largest shareholder with a 39% stake, Seeking Alpha reported.

据Seeking Alpha报道，私人股本公司贝恩资本（Bain Capital）是Surgery Partners的最大股东，持有39%的股份。

WHAT'S THE IMPACT

有什么影响

UHG subsidiary Optum owns SCA Health, the country's second-largest SC operator, after purchasing it for $2.3 billion in 2017. At that time, the acquisition of the outpatient surgery chain created a comprehensive ambulatory care services platform for Optum, including primary care, urgent care and surgical care services..

UHG子公司Optum在2017年以23亿美元收购了该国第二大SC运营商SCA Health。当时，收购门诊手术连锁店为Optum创建了一个全面的门诊护理服务平台，包括初级保健、紧急护理和外科护理服务。。

In July Optum backed out of a deal to buy the Steward Health Care physician group in Massachusetts. Optum's purchase of the group was one step in a bankruptcy restructuring process to sell the 31 hospitals in the troubled health system. The Department of Justice filed an objection to the debtor-in-possession financing terms for Steward Health Care, while Steward cited a 'challenging' review process at the federal Department of Justice, according to WMUR..

7月，Optum退出了收购马萨诸塞州Steward医疗保健医师集团的交易。Optum收购该集团是破产重组过程中的一步，该过程旨在出售陷入困境的卫生系统中的31家医院。据WMUR称，司法部对Steward医疗保健的债务人占有融资条款提出了异议，而Steward则引用了联邦司法部“具有挑战性”的审查程序。。

THE LARGER TREND

更大的趋势

The Justice Department launched an antitrust investigation into UnitedHealth Group in February, the Wall Street Journal reported.

据《华尔街日报》报道，司法部于2月份对联合健康集团（UnitedHealth Group）发起了反垄断调查。

Investigators interviewed healthcare industry representatives in sectors in which UnitedHealth competes, including physician groups, according to people with knowledge of the meetings. Optum includes about 90,000 physicians, according to the report.

据知情人士透露，调查人员采访了UnitedHealth竞争领域的医疗保健行业代表，其中包括医生团体。据报道，Optum包括约90000名医生。

Questions include the effect of Optum Health's physician group acquisitions on rivals and consumers. Investigators have also asked whether UnitedHealthcare favored Optum-owned groups in its contracting practices and whether Optum's ownership of providers presents challenges to health insurers that are rivals to UnitedHealthcare..

问题包括Optum Health的医师集团收购对竞争对手和消费者的影响。调查人员还询问，联合医疗（UnitedHealthcare）在其签约实践中是否青睐Optum旗下的集团，以及Optum对供应商的所有权是否对与联合医疗（UnitedHealthcare）竞争的健康保险公司构成挑战。。

Jeff Lagasse is editor of Healthcare Finance News.Email: jlagasse@himss.orgHealthcare Finance News is a HIMSS Media publication.

杰夫·拉加西是《医疗保健金融新闻》的编辑。电子邮件：jlagasse@himss.orgHealthcare《财经新闻》是HIMSS的媒体出版物。