FTC sues to block sale of two Community Health hospitals

The Federal Trade Commission sued to block Novant Health’s acquisition of two North Carolina hospitals from Community Health Systems. The Commission issued an administrative complaint and authorized a lawsuit in federal court to block the proposed acquisition, alleging that Novant Health’s proposed deal to acquire Lake Norman Regional Medical Center and Davis Regional Medical Center from CHS “threatens to raise prices and reduce incentives to invest in quality and innovative care that would benefit patients.”