option care health shares have hit a 52week low as investors react negatively to the companys allstock deal to combine with amedisys option cares shares sank more than 25 to a low of 2423 in early trading on thursday and are currently down 168 over the past 12 months amedisys shares fell 65 to a low of 7349 in early trading the provider of home and alternativesite infusion services said after the bell on wednesday that it has agreed to combine with amedisys a healthcare services provider via a share swap in which investors will receive 302 option care health shares for each share of amedisys they hold the companies said the swap is equivalent to investors getting 9738 for each amedisys share based on option care healths closing price on tuesday option care health shares started dropping during offhour trading soon after the deal was announced the announcement came as a surprise according to several analysts and apparently an unwelcome one for investors given the selloff that followed ubs analysts said in a note that shareholders are probably questioning the strategic merits of the deal amedisys faces several structural challenges and there is lingering uncertainty over changes in home health medicare rates that are expected next month analysts at credit suisse said in a note that the combination has longterm merit but that the home health industry is still facing headwinds from ongoing labor pressures and a shift to medicare advantage and its meaningfully lower payment rates raymond james analysts spoke with amedisys shareholders who are puzzled by the timing of the deal which comes just two months into the tenure of its chief executive richard ashworth