UnitedHealth Faces Antitrust Probe by US Justice Department (2)

The US Department of Justice has initiated an antitrust investigation into UnitedHealth Group Inc., people familiar with the matter said Tuesday.

The probe opens a new layer of scrutiny on the largest US health insurer that operates in pharmacy benefits, medical care, technology and other services. It emerged out of concerns about UnitedHealth’s acquisitions of health-care providers and data companies, according to one of the people, who asked not to be identified discussing information that isn’t public.

The company and the Justice Department both declined to comment. UnitedHealth shares dropped as much as 5% at the New York market ...