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DOJ turns enforcement gaze on hospital contracting practices

Photo of FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson speaking before Congress.
FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson. Photo: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Federal regulators, including the DOJ and the FTC, are putting their focus on hospital contracting strategies, reflecting a broader debate over healthcare costs, competition, and market power.

The DOJ has recently filed multiple antitrust lawsuits against large hospital systems, alleging that they used their leverage in negotiations with insurers to limit competition and inflate prices.

One lawsuit filed in February accuses a major healthcare network of using its dominant regional position to require insurers to include all