Now with the U.S. Supreme Court's blessing, the Federal Trade Commission is beginning the process of splitting the merger of two Albany, Ga.-based hospitals — Phoebe Putney Health System and Palmyra Medical Center.
The high court unanimously ruled in February that a Georgia state action doctrine did not make Hospital Authority of Albany-Dougherty County in Georgia or Phoebe Putney immune from antitrust regulation, thereby freeing the FTC to pursue administrative action on the deal.
The commission lifted (pdf) its stay on administrative proceedings last week, saying "time is of the essence" because the already consummated merger may have already promoted anticompetitive outcomes. A trial date will be set for July 15 or sooner, according to a report by the Blog of Legal Times.
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The high court unanimously ruled in February that a Georgia state action doctrine did not make Hospital Authority of Albany-Dougherty County in Georgia or Phoebe Putney immune from antitrust regulation, thereby freeing the FTC to pursue administrative action on the deal.
The commission lifted (pdf) its stay on administrative proceedings last week, saying "time is of the essence" because the already consummated merger may have already promoted anticompetitive outcomes. A trial date will be set for July 15 or sooner, according to a report by the Blog of Legal Times.
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