Justice Department files antitrust lawsuit against OhioHealth

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(The Center Square) – The Trump administration and Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost sued one of Ohio’s largest health care providers Friday, saying it blocks competition and drives up health care costs.

The U.S. Department of Justice filed the federal antitrust lawsuit against OhioHealth, ranked among the top five largest health systems in the state. The company has more than 24,000 employees in central Ohio, and its health care system includes 35,000 physicians and associates.

OhioHealth’s footprint stretches across 50 of the state’s 88 counties. It owns 16 hospitals and outpatient facilities in the state.

The government says OhioHealth uses its market power to put restrictions on or stop insurers from offering insurance plans or plan features that could save money.

OhioHealth Director of Media and Public Relations Clint Yoder told The Center Square in an email that the company has not yet been served with the lawsuit and it would be inappropriate to comment.

The Justice Department also says the group forces insurers to include OhioHealth in all the networks for insurance products offered.

“Americans deserve low-cost, high-quality health care – not anticompetitive hospital system contracts that make health care less affordable,” Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a release. “Under President Trump’s leadership, this Department of Justice will continue taking legal action to protect consumers and drive down health care costs across America."

The lawsuit wants to stop the restrictions, giving insurers a chance to include other options in plans.

“When competition is blocked, consumers end up being the biggest losers,” Yost said in a release. “My office stands with the Justice Department in our determination to eliminate these types of unfair practices and protect Ohioans’ wallets.”