Seven Greenville County legislative delegates penned a letter to South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, JD, requesting he investigate Columbia, S.C.-based Palmetto Health's proposed integration with Greenville (S.C.) Health System, according to a Greenville Online report.
Legislators wrote the proposed deal may violate state antitrust laws.
"Over the past several years, GHS … has acquired county hospitals, a 300-employee cancer treatment center, numerous physician groups and clinics and a variety of other medical and non-medical organizations throughout that six-county region," the legislators wrote. "We believe that as attorney general, you should be investigating it for systemic and continual violations of the South Carolina antitrust laws."
The letter, signed June 6, predates the health systems' integration announcement June 15. Representatives said they crafted the letter prior to the announcement because they had "heard rumors of more consolidation," according to the report. Legislators also notified the Federal Trade Commission of their plea to the attorney general.
A spokesperson for GHS told Greenville Online the health system is aware of the letter. She said the health systems are required by law to file their proposal with the FTC, which will review the deal's possible effect on competition.
The attorney general's office did not receive the letter as of Thursday, according to the report.