The Department of Justice has formally launched an antitrust inquiry into hospital consolidation, targeting leading nonprofit health systems like Ascension, Trinity Health, and Providence for their merger strategies and market behavior. Authorities are particularly focused on whether these integrated networks are suppressing competition, maintaining high pricing, and limiting consumer choice.
Central to the probe are consolidation tactics that may block rival hospitals or insurers from entering certain regions, potentially creating regional monopolies in patient care. The DOJ is examining whether dominant systems are leveraging contracts or acquisitions to prevent competing providers from gaining necessary access to facilities or insurance networks.
This investigation reflects growing concern from regulators that concentrated hospital markets contribute to rising healthcare costs and reduced access. The DOJ is using expanded powers granted under the Bipartisan America COMPETES Act to issue subpoenas and demand internal documents—moving aggressively to map out how the mergers and network practices may have hurt competition.
Some hospital systems argue their deals were benign and aimed at improving care coordination and cost efficiency. But the DOJ appears intent on determining whether consolidation has led to hidden anti‑competitive effects, especially in towns where one health system controls multiple hospitals, specialist practices, and insurance contracts.