The Department of Justice took a direct shot at rising medical bills today, filing a proposed antitrust settlement against OhioHealth Corporation. The deal aims to stop the hospital giant from using restrictive contract terms that blocked cheaper, budget-conscious insurance options for local workers and families.
According to the government’s civil antitrust lawsuit, which the State of Ohio joined, OhioHealth used its massive market footprint to force commercial health insurers into lopsided agreements. Specifically, the company required insurers to include its 16 hospitals and outpatient facilities in every single network they offered. It did not matter if OhioHealth’s prices were higher than its local competitors—insurers had to take them anyway. The DOJ argues this practice effectively stopped insurance companies from creating innovative, lower-cost plans, leaving Ohio consumers with fewer choices and higher prices.
Federal officials framed the settlement as a major step in a broader, ongoing effort to police corporate behavior in the medical sector…