Hinckley, Allen & Snyder and Honigman filed an antitrust lawsuit Tuesday in Connecticut District Court against Hartford HealthCare Corp. and its subsidiaries. The complaint, brought on behalf of Saint Francis Hospital, accuses Hartford of leveraging its market dominance in the Hartford area to charge 15% higher than other area hospitals for inferior services. Saint Francis also accuses the defendants of pressuring and intimidating physicians to refer patients to Hartford. Counsel have not yet appeared for the defendants. The case is 3:22-cv-00050, Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center v. Hartford HealthCare Corporation et al.
Saint Francis notes its complaint has been filed “to remedy a campaign of exclusion, acquisition and intimidation that has caused serious harm to health care competition and consumers in the Hartford, Connecticut area.” The complaint adds that “[b]ecause of its market dominance and anticompetitive conduct, Hartford HealthCare has not faced any competitive pressure to improve its prices or quality.”
