Washington, D.C. — In response to news that John Muir Health has abandoned its proposed $142.5 million acquisition of San Ramon Regional Medical Center amid scrutiny from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and California Attorney General Rob Bonta, the American Economic Liberties Project released the following statement.

“We’re thrilled to see the FTC and Attorney General Bonta successfully defend Californians from the fallout of this proposed hospital merger,” said Pat Garofalo, Director of State and Local Policy at the American Economic Liberties Project. “Hospital consolidation has wreaked havoc in communities across the country by increasing patient costs, lowering quality of care, and reducing workers’ bargaining power. In this particular case, the merger would have raised costs for critical services such as heart surgery, spinal surgery, and maternity care—an unconscionable prioritization of profits over patients. State enforcers are often on the front lines of the fight against Big Medicine, and it’s great that AG Bonta worked alongside the FTC to stave off this harmful deal. This is a big win for the FTC and for California.”

Learn more about the harms of hospital consolidation in our policy brief.

Learn more about how state lawmakers can take on consolidation in the healthcare industry in our latest policy toolkit. 

Learn more about Economic Liberties here.

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The American Economic Liberties Project works to ensure America’s system of commerce is structured to advance, rather than undermine, economic liberty, fair commerce, and a secure, inclusive democracy. Economic Liberties believes true economic liberty means entrepreneurs and businesses large and small succeed on the merits of their ideas and hard work; commerce empowers consumers, workers, farmers, and engineers instead of subjecting them to discrimination and abuse from financiers and monopolists; foreign trade arrangements support domestic security and democracy; and wealth is broadly distributed to support equitable political power.