The Justice Department and two states\u00a0have ended their legal effort to block\u00a0UnitedHealth Group\u2019s $13 billion purchase of technology company Change Healthcare.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The agency and attorneys general in New York and Minnesota on Monday filed paperwork\u00a0in the Court of Appeals for the District Court of Columbia to voluntarily dismiss their appeal. The document did not disclose why the agencies and attorneys general abandoned their call for a review of Judge Carl Nichols\u2019 ruling, which he handed down in the District Court for the District of Columbia last September.\u00a0<\/p>\n

UnitedHealth finalized its merger<\/a> of the technology company in October, and spent $100 million<\/a> to integrate Change Healthcare into its OptumInsight revenue cycle management arm. UnitedHealth also sold Change Healthcare\u2019s claims processing arm to a private equity firm for $2.2 billion<\/a> in September, as required by Nichols\u2019 ruling.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Justice Department and states attorneys general did not immediately respond to interview requests Tuesday. UnitedHealth and Change Healthcare separately\u00a0said they had nothing to share to share because the transaction was completed.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Justice Department and attorneys general\u00a0had alleged the merger would violate antitrust law by giving the insurer UnitedHealthcare insight into how rival carriers structure their clinical networks. They\u00a0 appealed Nichols’ decision in November<\/a>\u00a0without disclosing\u00a0the grounds for their appeal.<\/p>\n

The healthcare giant paid $7.8 billion in cash and assumed $5 billion of Change Healthcare\u2019s debt. UnitedHealth expects Change Healthcare to add\u00a0$800 million in revenue to OptumInsight\u00a0this year.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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