Federal Trade Commission v. U.S. Anesthesia Partners, Inc. et al.

Why this Matters 

The Federal Trade Commission alleges that a provider of anesthesia services and a private equity firm violated federal antitrust law by engaging in various practices to consolidate and monopolize the anesthesiology market in Texas. The monopolization of specialty health care services enables providers to maintain greater leverage within the commercial market and further drive up health care costs.

Potential Impact 

The increasing consolidation of certain health care services by private equity-backed groups and the resulting impact on competition within health care markets could lead to higher costs and lower-quality care for patients.