The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) sued to block the sale of four Salt Lake City area Steward Health Care hospitals to HCA, alleging the anticompetitive nature of the deal would lead to higher prices and lower quality of care.
National Nurses United sent a letter to the FTC Bureau of Competition Director Holly Vedova in October 2021, citing similar concerns, urging the FTC to stop the sale.
“HCA has a well-documented pattern of using its immense scale and wealth to absorb smaller hospital systems,” said NNU President Jean Ross, RN in a statement on the FTC’s decision. “Once HCA is a community’s primary health care provider, it goes into its well-used playbook—slashing and consolidating services, while jacking up health care costs. The FTC’s move to block this transaction, could save thousands of Utah patients from having to endure the profit-orientated and self-enrichment business practices of HCA’s Wall Street executives.”
Just days after the FTC’s announcement, HCA and Steward dissolved their acquisition attempt.