On June 25, 2015, the Antitrust Division of the Justice Department and the Michigan Attorney General’s Office filed a civil complaint against four Michigan hospitals, alleging the providers had agreed not to compete with one another in violation of Sherman Act §1 and Michigan state law. DOJ and the Michigan AGO settled the claims against three of the four hospitals in 2015 (see Source Blog). The fourth hospital, Foote Memorial Hospital (d/b/a Henry Ford Allegiance Health) contested the charges. The parties in the case filed cross-motions for summary judgement. Allegiance ultimately settled and the federal district court entered into a final judgment on May 21, 2018 approving a consent decree which prohibited Allegiance from entering into any improper agreements or communications with competing providers to limit marketing efforts in their respective territories.

Court Documents:

5/21/2018: Settlement Agreement and Final Judgment for Foote Memorial Hospital (Henry Ford Allegiance Health)
5/31/2017: Order Denying Allegiance’s Motion for Partial Summary Judgment and Plaintiffs’ Motion for Summary Judgment
10/21/2015: Settlement Agreement and Final Judgment for Hillsdale Community Health, Community Health Center of Branch County, and Promedica Health
6/25/2015: Complaint: U.S. and State of Michigan v. Hillsdale Community Health, Foote Memorial Hospital (Henry Ford Allegiance Health), Community Health Center of Branch County, and Promedica Health

Case Watch Related Articles:

5/21/2018: U.S. and State of Michigan v. Hillsdale Community Health Center, W.A. Foote Memorial Hospital, D/B/A Allegiance Health, Community Health Center of Branch County, and Promedica Health Systems, Inc.
3/13/2018: Michigan Hospital Strikes Deal to End Three Years of Litigation in Antitrust Suit
7/1/2015: Michigan Hospitals Settle with DOJ/State AG Over Scheme Not to Compete
6/25/2015: Justice Department Sues Four Michigan Hospital Systems for Unlawfully Agreeing to Limit Marketing for Competing Healthcare Services