Hartford HealthCare Requests Lawsuit Dismissal: Report

HARTFORD, CT — Hartford HealthCare is fighting back against allegations that it violated antitrust laws and has requested a judge dismiss a lawsuit filed by St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center, according to The Hartford Business Journal.

Last month, Saint Francis Hospital claimed in a lawsuit that Hartford HealthCare was "trying to create a monopoly on hospital services by acquiring physician networks, particularly cardiologists, and demanding that they refer their patients only to Hartford HealthCare."

In its request to dismiss the suit, Hartford HealthCare argues that St. Francis lacks antitrust standing and has the financial capabilities to compete harder for physicians. Hartford HealthCare said St. Francis, as part of industry giant Trinity Health, has higher operating margins.

St. Francis's suit alleges that Hartford HealthCare has engaged in a campaign of "exclusion, acquisition and intimidation," and that company executives have said in meetings that their goal was to "crush" or "bury" St. Francis.

Read the full story in The Hartford Business Journal.