Southern Illinois Health Monopoly Suit Headed to Seventh Circuit

Southern Illinois Healthcare will face a Seventh Circuit appeal of claims that it built a regional monopoly through exclusive contracts with major insurers like nonparty Blue Cross Blue Shield, after it beat the antitrust lawsuit last month.

The suit accused SIH of starving competitors out of business by forcing them to become “out of network” providers that were more expensive for patients, even if their list prices were lower. It was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois by Marion HealthCare LLC, an ambulatory surgery center.

The special master assigned to handle initial proceedings issued ...