By Mike Scarcella - The Federal Trade Commission on Thursday sued U.S. Anesthesia Partners and a private equity firm in Texas federal court, accusing them in a novel legal complaint ofCountering the culture war with education and empathy | SaltWire #TransRights #HalifaxProtest - The Federal Trade Commission on Thursday sued U.S.
Biden-appointed FTC Chair Lina Khan had vowed to examine what she said was the"growing influence" of private equity on competition and consumer protection. The agency enforces antitrust law, and the lawsuit was seen as the first litigated case over a private equity firm's consolidation strategy. U.S. Anesthesia Partners raised each new purchased group's rates, forcing patients to pay more for the same doctor than before, according to the lawsuit.
U.S. Anesthesia Partners' largest presence is in Texas, according to the FTC, and it operates in seven other states, including Florida.