First Session of FTC/DOJ Health Care and Competition Law and Policy Hearings Begins Wednesday, February 26

The first session of the Federal Trade Commission/Department of Justice joint hearings on health care and competition law and policy will begin Wednesday, February 26 at 1:30 p.m. The agenda for this session is available at www.ftc.gov/ogc/healthcarehearings/ and at www.usdoj.gov/atr/hchearing.htm. Further information about the hearings, which will take place three to five days each month over the next seven months, is accessible on the main page of the FTC's Web site, www.ftc.gov, by clicking the "Health Care and Competition Hearings" button.

The hearings will be held on Wednesday, February 26, 2003 from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., on Thursday, February 27, 2003 from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and on Friday, February 28, 2003 from 9:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The hearings will be held in the FTC Conference Center at 601 New Jersey Avenue, Washington, D.C. 20580.

Persons unable to personally attend the first three-day session of hearings may call-in. As the phone and/or confirmation numbers are subject to change each day, please check the FTC's Web site for call-in information.

The initial set of hearings will feature representatives of the FTC; the DOJ; the Department of Health & Human Services; the academic community; and the provider, payor, and employer communities.

On Wednesday, February 26, 2003, the hearings will begin with short remarks by representatives of the FTC and the DOJ, a keynote address by Thomas Scully, Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and presentations by several academic experts.

On Thursday, February 27, 2003, two panel discussions will offer an array of perspectives on competition policy and the health care marketplace, with additional presentations by academic experts. On Friday, February 28, 2003, two panels will discuss the performance of the health care marketplace in Boston, MA, and Little Rock, AR, with further presentations by academic experts. Each panel will consist of approximately six invited panelists, each of whom will speak for seven to 10 minutes. A moderated discussion will follow the presentations. Each panel has been given a series of questions to provide a general framework for presentations and discussion.

The FTC's Bureau of Competition seeks to prevent business practices that restrain competition. The Bureau carries out its mission by investigating alleged law violations and, when appropriate, recommending that the Commission take formal enforcement action. To notify the Bureau concerning particular business practices, call or write the Office of Policy and Evaluation, Room 394, Bureau of Competition, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Ave, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580, Electronic Mail: antitrust@ftc.gov; Telephone (202) 326-3300. For more information on the laws that the FTC enforces, the Commission has published "Promoting Competition, Protecting Consumers: A Plain English Guide to Antitrust Laws," which can be accessed at http://www.ftc.gov/bc/compguide/index.htm.

DOJ Media Contact:

Gina Talamona

Office of Public Affairs

202-514-2007  

DOJ Staff Contact:

William Berlin

Litigation I Section

202-616-5938