The US FTC initiates proceedings against two hospitals to prevent their proposed merger (Hackensack Meridian Health / Englewood Healthcare)

On 4 August 2021, the District Court of New Jersey granted the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) motion for preliminary injunction, preventing Hackensack Meridian Health (HMH) and Englewood Healthcare (Englewood) from closing their proposed merger pending an administrative trial before an FTC administrative law judge this fall. The FTC was quick to celebrate the win. In an uncharacteristically fiery press release, FTC Office of Public Affairs Director Lindsay Kryzak sent a warning shot at health system executives considering potential mergers, stating in part: “Too many hospital mergers lead to jacked up prices and diminished care for patients most in need. It remains a mystery why these two hospital systems decided to pursue a highly suspicious merger in the middle of a global pandemic.