DOJ launches antitrust investigation into UnitedHealth Group

The U.S. Department of Justice has launched an antitrust investigation into UnitedHealth Group, according to a Wall Street Journal report, which cited people with knowledge of the matter.

Investigators have been interviewing healthcare industry representatives in sectors where UnitedHealth competes, including doctor groups, per a Reuters report on the news of the investigation. During their interviews, investigators have asked about issues including certain relationships between the company's UnitedHealthcare insurance unit and its Optum health services arm, which owns physician groups, among other assets. The report noted that UnitedHealth's unit, Optum Health, offers a range of healthcare solutions, from pharmacy benefit management to financial consultation and mental health support.

The report noted that lawmakers and the FTC have been investigating the role of pharmacy benefit managers in rising healthcare costs. 

The WSJ also reported that the DOJ is examining the company's Medicare billing practices to learn if doctors are aggressively characterizing their patient's illnesses to wrongly increase payments from the government. 

Investigators have asked about possible impacts of the company's doctor-group acquisitions on rivals and consumers, per the WSJ report, which also noted that the company also competes with CVS Health and Cigna which offer health insurance plans along with PBM businesses.