A multistate coalition of attorneys general, led by California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, urged the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit to ensure the availability of affordable and accessible healthcare by protecting competition in local healthcare markets, reports Healthcare Finance.
Specifically, the coalition is looking to block the merger of Hackensack Meridian Health and Englewood Health, both based in New Jersey. The attorneys general filed an amicus brief in Federal Trade Commission v. Hackensack Memorial Hospital and Englewood Healthcare Foundation, asking the court to affirm a district court decision to halt the merger under federal antitrust law.
The U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey in August granted a preliminary injunction blocking the merger, citing potential anticompetitive effects, such as reduced care quality and higher prices, without any extraordinary efficiencies to offset those harms. The injunction was set to last at least until the completion of an internal trial by the Federal Trade Commission. The two hospitals filed an appeal shortly after this decision. Read more.
