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Minnesota House Passes Affecting Heath Deals, Like Sanford-Fairview Merger

By  |  May 9, 2023

The Minnesota House approved a bill prohibiting anti-competitive health care mergers, potentially blocking the proposed union between Fairview Health Services and Sanford Health.

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    The proposed merger has been met with criticism from legislative Democrats, who believe it may result in a healthcare monopoly in greater Minnesota and potentially cause clinic closures and increased costs for patients.

    Read more: Sanford Health & Fairview Agree To $14B Merger, Again

    The House passed legislation by a 70-61 vote that prohibits healthcare transactions that could potentially create a monopoly or reduce competition. The Attorney General is investigating the Fairview-Sanford merger for violating antitrust and charity laws, and this bill grants them more flexibility in bringing the case to state court and requesting a merger prohibition from a judge.

    “We can create a better health care infrastructure based on the public interest and deliver better health outcomes no matter where you reside in the state,” said Rep. Robert Bierman, DFL-Apple Valley, the bill’s chief author.