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US: St. Cloud clinic merger under antitrust review

By  |  March 17, 2016

Attorney General Lori Swanson is raising concerns about the impact on competition from a possible merger between two large primary care providers in the St. Cloud area.

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    In an interview this week, Swanson said her office has launched an antitrust review of a potential acquisition by CentraCare of St. Cloud Medical Group, and asked the parties to delay any closing.

    In a statement, CentraCare officials said they have been pursuing a potential “integration” with St. Cloud Medical Group since mid-2015 with the goal of improving the quality of patient care.

    CentraCare said the merger would not materially impact its payments from health insurers, but regulators have been scrutinizing how health care consolidation in markets across the country could boost health care costs.

    “Our review to date has identified concerns about the adverse impact of the acquisition on competition in the primary care market in central Minnesota,” Swanson said.

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