The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has taken decisive action to protect American patients from potential increases in outpatient surgery costs, mandating that national nonprofit health system Ascension Health Alliance divest several surgery center facilities. This requirement is a crucial condition for Ascension to proceed with its proposed $3.9 billion acquisition of AmSurg LLC.
The FTC's proposed order specifically targets the prevention of anticompetitive effects that could arise from the merger. The Commission's concern is that without these divestitures, the consolidation could lead to higher prices for surgical procedures and a decline in the overall quality of care provided to patients. This move underscores the FTC's commitment to maintaining competition in the healthcare sector.