Marion (Ill.) HealthCare is appealing a ruling that the contracts entered into by Carbondale-based Southern Illinois HealthCare and BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois did not violate federal antitrust laws, Bloomberg Law reports.
What you should know:
1. Marion HealthCare originally filed a lawsuit against SIH and BCBSIL in August 2012, alleging that SIH was bankrupting competitors in Williamson and Jackson counties by entering into exclusionary contracts with payers in the state. Because SIH is the largest provider in these counties, the health system would enter into contracts that prevented payers from contracting with any competitor. The lawsuit alleged SIH provided 77 percent of all inpatient care in the counties and more than 85.3 percent of all outpatient care.
2. The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois dismissed all claims made by Marion HealthCare March 31, ruling that the contracts the parties entered into did not grant SIH a monopoly for care in the area.
3. Lawyers for Marion appealed the ruling April 8.
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