UNC Health/Atrium Health merger talks are off

UNC Women's and Children's Hospital at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | William Yeung CC

RALEIGH — Charlotte-based Atrium Health, formerly known as Carolinas HealthCare, said today that it has suspended discussions with UNC Health Care about forming a joint operating company.

State Treasurer Dale Folwell, who had recently asked representatives of UNC Health Care to provide the State Health Plan with a $1 billion performance bond guaranteeing that any merger with atrium would not increase medical costs to the plan, said that he believed the proposed deal lacked transparency. “It is obvious that many others agreed there was a lack of transparency surrounding the proposed UNC/Atrium merger,” said Folwell in a statement. Folwell also added, “I was also concerned that this proposal involving billions in state assets never came before the Council of State, whose primary function is to review the disposition of state property.”