Third Session of FTC/DOJ Health Care and Competition Law and Policy Hearings Begins Wednesday, April 9

The third session of the Federal Trade Commission/Department of Justice joint hearings on health care and competition law and policy will begin on Wednesday, April 9 at 2:00 p.m. The agenda for the session is available at http://www.ftc.gov/ogc/healthcarehearings/ and athttp://www.usdoj.gov/atr/hchearing.htm. .

The hearings will be held on Wednesday, April 9, 2003, from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., on Thursday, April 10, 2003, from 9:15 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and on Friday, April 11, 2003, from 9:15 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The hearings will be held in the FTC Conference Center at 601 New Jersey Avenue, Washington, D.C. 20508.

Persons unable to attend this session of hearings may call-in. The call-in information is as follows:

Wednesday, April 9, 2003: 2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Dial-in: 1-800-720-5846
Confirmation Number: 16434787
Chairperson: Bruce Jennings

Thursday, April 10, 2003: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Dial-in: 1-800-682-5640
Confirmation Number: 16434790
Chairperson: Bruce Jennings

Friday, April 11, 2003: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Dial-in: 1-800-682-5640
Confirmation Number: 16434798
Chairperson: Bruce Jennings

On Wednesday, April 9, 2003, a panel will discuss how hospitals are increasingly affiliating into horizontal networks and entering into vertical arrangements with other health care providers. The panel will address questions such as how these arrangements have affected the health care market place and competition policy and whether or not consumers prefer these arrangements.

On Thursday, April 10, 2003, two panel discussions will consider the role and performance of non-profit hospitals in the health care market and address the issue of hospital joint ventures and joint operating agreements.

On Friday, April 11, 2003, a panel will discuss the performance of the health care marketplace in Little Rock, AR. The panel will consist of seven invited panelists, each of whom will speak for seven to 10 minutes. A moderated discussion will follow the presentations. A second, afternoon panel will focus on post-merger conduct of hospitals, answering questions related to raising of prices and post-merger administrative efficiency within the hospitals.