Steward Health Care, a hospital operator that has been facing financial difficulties in Massachusetts, is looking to sell its nationwide physician network to UnitedHealth’s Optum Care unit. This move is part of the company’s plan to strengthen its national system of 33 hospitals and address payment issues that have impacted its finances in the past year.
On Tuesday, Collaborative Care Holdings, LLC, a subsidiary of Optum, officially filed notice with the state’s Health Policy Commission regarding the sale of Stewardship Health, the doctors group being proposed for sale. While no specific price tag was included in the documents filed, Optum officials did not provide immediate comment on the matter.
If this potential acquisition goes through, it could provide a financial boost for Steward Health Care as it continues to navigate its ongoing financial challenges. The sale of Stewardship Health would give Optum access to a large network of physicians and could help Steward Health Care improve its financial performance in the long run.
