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US: Hospital hearing delayed for FTC evaluation

By  |  March 27, 2016

A federal judge has removed the Federal Trade Commission’s complaint against Cabell Huntington Hospital and St. Mary’s Medical Center from adjudication for 30 days, a move requested jointly by all parties in order for the FTC to evaluate a new state law.

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    The legislation, signed into law last week by Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin, would exempt Cabell Huntington’s planned acquisition of St. Mary’s from state and federal antitrust laws if a cooperative agreement is approved by the West Virginia Health Care Authority and the state attorney general.

    The FTC filed a complaint against the proposed merger in November, stating it would create a monopoly that would lead to higher health care prices and lower quality by eliminating competition.

    An administrative law hearing was scheduled for April 5 for Cabell Huntington to dispute those claims. In documents released by the FTC on Tuesday, all parties involved believed it was best to delay the hearing to enable the FTC to evaluate the new law and determine whether to continue with proceedings.

    Full content: The Herald-Dispatch

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