Optum, Surgery Partners further consolidate 

UnitedHealth Group's Optum, parent company of ASC chain SCA Health, based in Deerfield, Ill., has been on a spending spree, making several massive deals in 2023. Brentwood, Tenn.-based Surgery Partners, meanwhile, spent almost $250 million to acquire ASCs last year and is planning for more in 2023. 

Here are five major moves by Optum in 2023:

1. In June, Optum agreed to merge with home health and hospice provider Amedisys. 
2. In February, Optum acquired Middletown, N.Y.-based multispecialty group Crystal Run Healthcare. 
3. Also in February, UnitedHealth Group closed on a multimillion-dollar deal to acquire home health and hospice company LHC Group, adding to Optum's value-based care services.
4. In January, Optum inked two deals. Optum partnered with Northern Light Health in Brewer, Maine, and Owensboro (Ky.) Health to take over administrative functions so the systems could focus on patient care. Around 1,400 Northern Light Health employees and 575 Owensboro Health employees are transitioning to Optum.

Here are four major deals from Surgery Partners in 2023:

1. In May, Surgery Partners acquired Kansas Spine & Specialty Hospital in Wichita, Kan., a physician-owned spine, neck and joint hospital. 
2. In April, Salt Lake City-based Intermountain Health and Surgery Partners signed a collaboration agreement in which Surgery Partners will take over management of Intermountain's existing ASCs in Utah and Idaho and will develop more ASCs in other select markets. 
3. Also in April, Columbus-based OhioHealth and Surgery Partners formed a new company to grow ASC joint ventures across Ohio.
4. In March, Surgery Partners and management services organization Growth Orthopedics partnered to build the Lakeway (Texas) ASC.