Justice Dept. Aided by State in Michigan Hospital Case, Official Says

The Justice Department’s current lawsuit against a Michigan hospital system is an example of how state and federal antitrust enforcers can benefit from working together, a top DOJ official said June 21.

States often join the Justice Department in bringing lawsuits to combat anticompetitive conduct or mergers believed to harm consumers. The partnership can benefit both parties, as it has done in the DOJ’s suit against W.A. Foote Memorial Hospital, operating as Allegiance Health, said Eric Mahr, director of litigation for the DOJ’s antitrust division.

Michigan State Attorney General Bill Schuette joined the DOJ in June 2015 accusing the Ann ...