DaVita, Fresenius Accused of Inflating Dialysis Treatment Prices

DaVita Inc. and Fresenius Medical Care AG were sued in federal court with claims the companies colluded to corner the market for dialysis treatments in the US and overcharge patients by billions of dollars.

The plaintiff, the benefits fund for United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1776, alleged that absent the companies’ conspiracy, the “prices of outpatient dialysis services would have been determined by competitive forces—and would have been significantly lower,” according to a complaint filed May 9 in the US District Court for the District of Colorado.

The suit accuses Colorado-based DaVita and Germany-based Fresenius, the largest providers of ...