A U.S. judge on Wednesday said a hospital consolidation in Louisiana was beyond the reach of federal antitrust law, delivering a setback to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission in a clash over the scope of its power to review certain acquisitions, Reuters reports.
U.S. District Judge Lance Africk in New Orleans in a 29-page order said Louisiana’s consideration and approval of the hospital transaction made it exempt from federal antitrust law. In the deal, nonprofit Louisiana Children’s Medical Center acquired three hospitals from HCA Healthcare. Read more.
