The Department of Justice (DOJ) is mulling a lawsuit to intervene in UnitedHealth Group's nearly $8 billion acquisition of Change Healthcare, according to media reports.
That the DOJ was probing the massive deal was first revealed in March. Critics of the merger, such as the American Hospital Association, have warned that the deal could lead to a "massive consolidation" in healthcare data.
The potential for a lawsuit was first reported by The Information. Sources familiar with the matter told the outlet the DOJ has been reaching out to private attorneys who could lead litigation against the deal.
RELATED: American Antitrust Institute expresses concern about proposed Optum-Change Healthcare deal
The deal was first unveiled in January and is expected to close in the second half of the year.
Change Healthcare's stock took a nosedive late Tuesday after the news first broke, and was down 9% premarket on Wednesday. We've reached out to Change and UnitedHealth Group and will update if we hear back.