Statement by FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez on Appellate Ruling in the St. Luke’s Hospital Matter

Federal Trade Commission Chairwoman Edith Ramirez issued the following statement in response to a ruling today by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, regarding the FTC’s case challenging Idaho-based St. Luke’s Health System’s acquisition of Saltzer Medical Group:

“Today’s decision by the Ninth Circuit is a win for consumers and healthcare competition in the Nampa, Idaho area. If left unchallenged, St. Luke’s acquisition of Saltzer would have created a dominant provider of physician services for adults seeking primary care in Nampa, leading to higher costs for consumers and employers there. The acquisition would have delivered no benefit to consumers that could not be achieved in ways other than the anticompetitive merger.”

Today’s decision affirms the decision by the U.S. District Court in the District of Idaho, which held that the acquisition violated Section 7 of the Clayton Act and the Idaho Competition Act, and ordered St. Luke’s to fully divest itself of Saltzer’s physicians and assets.

In 2013, the FTC, together with the Idaho Attorney General, filed a complaint in federal district court seeking to block the acquisition.

The FTC’s Bureau of Competition works with the Bureau of Economics to investigate alleged anticompetitive business practices and, when appropriate, recommends that the Commission take law enforcement action. To inform the Bureau about particular business practices, call 202-326-3300, send an e-mail to antitrust{at}ftc{dot}gov, or write to the Office of Policy and Coordination, Bureau of Competition, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Room CC-5422, Washington, DC 20580. To learn more about the Bureau of Competition, read Competition Counts. Like the FTC on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and subscribe to press releases for the latest FTC news and resources.