Dec 17, 2018

DaVita lowers purchase price of medical group by $560 million

DaVita still hasn't sold its medical group. Photo: RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post via Getty Images

UnitedHealth Group will now pay $4.34 billion for DaVita's medical group, $560 million less than the original purchase price announced last year, DaVita said in a regulatory filing today.

Why it matters: DaVita, a dominant provider of dialysis treatment, lowered the price due in large part to deteriorating financials within the physician business. The Federal Trade Commission has still not signed off on this deal, and DaVita wants to close the deal to offset growing debt, as it prepares for federal changes to commercial insurance for dialysis.

Go deeper

Rebecca Falconer, Orion Rummler, Marisa Fernandez

U.S. coronavirus updates: Chicago jail is largest-known source of coronavirus

Data: The Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins; Map: Andrew Witherspoon/Axios

Chicago's Cook County jail is the largest-known source of coronavirus infections in the U.S., the New York Times reports. The White House has identified Chicago's metro area as a risk for exponential growth of the virus.

Why it matters: Public health officials have warned this would be a particularly deadly week for America, even as New York began to see declining trends of hospitalizations and ICU admissions.

Go deeperUpdated 43 mins ago - Health

Axios

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios

Global: Total confirmed cases as of 7 p.m. ET: 1,504,971 — Total deaths: 87,984 — Total recoveries: 318,068 — Map.
U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 7 p.m. ET: 424,945 — Total deaths: 14,529 — Total recoveries: 23,292 — Map.
Federal government latest: Top Trump administration officials had been developing a plan to give cloth masks to huge numbers of Americans, but the idea lost traction amid heavy internal skepticism.
States latest: Chicago's Cook County jail is largest-known source of coronavirus in U.S.
Business update: One-third of U.S. jobs are at risk of disappearing, mostly affecting low-income workers.
World update: WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged countries to put politics aside "if you don’t want to have many more body bags.”
Environment update: COVID-19 is underscoring the connection between air pollution and dire outcomes from respiratory diseases.
What should I do? Pets, moving and personal health — Answers about the virus from Axios experts — What to know about social distancing — Q&A: Minimizing your coronavirus risk.
Other resources: CDC on how to avoid the virus, what to do if you get it.

Subscribe to Mike Allen's Axios AM to follow our coronavirus coverage each morning from your inbox.

Keep ReadingUpdated 2 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Bryan Walsh

The pandemic and pollution

New York City's skyline on a smoggy day in May 2019. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

COVID-19 is underscoring the connection between air pollution and dire outcomes from respiratory diseases.

Why it matters: Old-fashioned air pollution is almost certainly the single biggest environmental health threat, contributing to the deaths of some 7 million people a year according to the WHO, making it comparable to deaths from smoking.

Go deeper3 hours ago - Health