FTC Settles Charges That Colorado Physicians Group Director Attempted to Evade Terms of 2008 Price-Fixing Order

The Federal Trade Commission settled charges that the executive director of a Colorado physicians’ association actively tried to evade the terms of a 2008 FTC order by telling insurers that because she was not named individually in the order, she could simply negotiate on behalf of competing physicians on the “outside” and “not with my […]

Colorado Physicians Group Agrees to Stop Alleged Price-Fixing Tactics

A Colorado physicians’ group has settled Federal Trade Commission charges of price-fixing by agreeing to halt its use of allegedly anticompetitive negotiating tactics against health insurers.The FTC charged Roaring Fork Valley Physicians I.P.A., Inc., which represents about 80 percent of the doctors in Garfield County, Colorado, with violating the FTC Act by orchestrating agreements among […]

FTC Settles Price-Fixing Charges Against San Francisco Bay Area Doctors Group

Alta Bates Medical Group, Inc. (Alta Bates), a 600-physician independent practice association serving the Berkeley and Oakland, California, area, has agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that it violated federal antitrust law by fixing prices charged to health care insurers. A proposed consent order would prohibit Alta Bates from collectively negotiating fee-for-service reimbursements and […]

FTC Settles Price-Fixing Charges Against Two Separate Doctors’ Groups

Physician groups in Modesto, California, and in Boulder County, Colorado, have agreed to settle separate Federal Trade Commission charges that they each violated federal laws. Both groups are charged with orchestrating and carrying out agreements among their members to refuse, and threaten to refuse, to deal with insurance providers, unless they raised the fees paid […]

FTC Settles Price-Fixing Charges Against Two Separate Doctors’ Groups

Physician groups in Modesto, California, and in Boulder County, Colorado, have agreed to settle separate Federal Trade Commission charges that they each violated federal laws. Both groups are charged with orchestrating and carrying out agreements among their members to refuse, and threaten to refuse, to deal with insurance providers, unless they raised the fees paid […]

U.S. Court of Appeals Affirms FTC Decision That Texas Doctors Group Engaged in Illegal, Anticompetitive Price-Fixing

In a unanimous opinion issued on May 14, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit affirmed a 2005 Federal Trade Commission decision that found certain activities of North Texas Specialty Physicians (NTSP) violated Section 5 of the FTC Act. In particular, NTSP, a group of independent competing physicians based in Forth Worth, was […]

FTC Challenges Illegal Boycott of Health Plan by Connecticut Chiropractors

The Federal Trade Commission today announced its decision to challenge the conduct by two Connecticut chiropractic associations and one of their attorneys to implement a collective refusal to deal with a cost-saving health plan in Connecticut. The FTC’s complaint charged that the parties’ actions unreasonably restrained competition in violation of Section 5 of the FTC […]

Commission Approves Final Consent Orders in Matters of South Carolina State Board of Dentistry and Colegio de Optometras de Puerto Rico

Commission approval of final consent orders: The Commission has approved a final consent order in the matter concerning the South Carolina State Board of Dentistry and approved letters to the commenters of record. The FTC vote approving the final consent order was 5-0. (FTC Docket No. D-9311; the staff contact is Gary H. Schorr, Bureau […]

FTC Charges Puerto Rico Optometrists Group, Two of its Leaders, With Orchestrating Price-Fixing Conspiracy

A group representing all optometrists in Puerto Rico, along with two of its leaders, has agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that they violated the FTC Act by orchestrating and carrying out agreements among the group’s members to refuse, and threaten to refuse, to deal with payors, unless the payors raised the fees paid […]

South Carolina Board of Dentistry Settles Charges That it Restrained Competition in the Provision of Preventive Care by Dental Hygienists

The Federal Trade Commission today announced a consent order settling charges brought in September 2003 that the South Carolina State Board of Dentistry unlawfully restrained competition in violation of Section 5 of the FTC Act by adopting a rule that required a dentist to examine every child before a dental hygienist could provide preventive care […]