US to Appeal Loss in UnitedHealth-Change Merger Challenge (1)

US antitrust regulators plan to appeal a court ruling that permitted UnitedHealth Group Inc. to acquire Change Healthcare, according to a filing on the case docket.

The companies closed the $7.8 billion merger after a federal judge in Washington ruled against the Department of Justice in a lawsuit to block the deal on the grounds that it would reduce competition.

The UnitedHealth case was one of trio of losses by DOJ’s antitrust prosecutors, who filed an unprecedented 10 merger challenges this year.

UnitedHealth believes “the appeal is without merit,” a spokesperson said in an email. A Justice Dept. spokesperson didn’t ...