FTC Challenges Health Care Mergers in Administrative Actions

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) contested two health care-related mergers by filing complaints in its administrative tribunal. One involved the acquisition of two outpatient clinics by a hospital system in Virginia, and the other involved a heartpump maker's proposed acquisition of a prospective competitor. The Department of Justice settled challenges to a merger involving the only domestic manufacturers of aluminum sheathing and a completed combination of the two suppliers of particular semiconductor devices used for military and space programs.