UPDATED: This story was updated at 3:51 p.m. with a comment from OhioHealth.
COLUMBUS — An antitrust lawsuit alleging that OhioHealth limits competition and drives up health-care costs for patients and employers was filed Friday, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced.
“When competition is blocked, consumers end up being the biggest losers,” Yost said. “My office stands with the Justice Department in our determination to eliminate these types of unfair practices and protect Ohioan’s wallets.”
OhioHealth responded to a call from Source Media Properties with the following email statement:
“OhioHealth has been cooperating with the Department of Justice throughout its review of our managed care agreements,” stated Colin Yoder, OhioHealth’s Director of Media and Public Relations. “We are confident in our position and remain committed to full compliance with all applicable laws and regulatory requirements.
“As this is active litigation, we will not comment on specifics beyond what has been publicly disclosed.”
The federal lawsuit, filed by the Department of Justice in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, contends that OhioHealth uses its market strength to force insurers to include OhioHealth in all their commercial insurance networks, Yost said. That practice prevents insurers from offering lower-priced health-plan options in central Ohio.
“Americans deserve low-cost, high-quality healthcare – not anticompetitive hospital system contracts that make healthcare less affordable,” said U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi.
“Under President Trump’s leadership, this Department of Justice will continue taking legal action to protect consumers and drive down healthcare costs across America.”
The lawsuit seeks to stop OhioHealth’s restrictions so insurers can include more affordable, innovative plan options in their contracts with OhioHealth and in the commercial insurance products they sell to employers and families.
The complaint alleges these practices violate the federal Sherman Act and Ohio’s Valentine Act, both of which prohibit anticompetitive conduct that harms consumers.
These restrictions limit competition and block the development of budget-conscious plans that would allow patients to choose high-quality, lower-cost providers, Yost said. Without those options, employers and families face fewer choices and higher premiums.
OhioHealth owns or manages 16 hospitals and outpatient facilities throughout Ohio.
The Attorney General’s Office is standing with federal partners to protect consumers and restore competition in Ohio’s health-care marketplace, Yost said.