Court Rejects Appeal in Anesthesia Antitrust Case

U.S. Anesthesia Partners (USAP) failed to convince the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to dismiss a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) antitrust lawsuit accusing it of driving up healthcare costs through acquisitions in Texas. The court ruled that USAP must await a final judgment before it can appeal the lower court's decision, which allowed the FTC's case to proceed. USAP criticized the FTC's actions as government overreach, arguing that the agency unlawfully bypassed necessary administrative processes to pursue its claims in federal court. The lawsuit, part of a Biden-era strategy to address private equity consolidation, contends that USAP's formation involved a scheme to monopolize the anesthesiology market. While Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe was dismissed from the case, USAP maintains its innocence and is preparing to challenge the FTC's authority in future proceedings. The FTC has not commented on the ongoing litigation.