Judge allows antitrust case against Hartford HealthCare to proceed
HBJ FILE PHOTO
Hartford Hospital, Hartford HealthCare’s flagship hospital.
A Superior Court judge has refused to toss a class action lawsuit against Hartford HealthCare that claims the health system has used its market power to stifle competition and inflate prices.
The lawsuit was originally filed in 2022 by a group of state residents, led by plaintiff John Brown, against Hartford HealthCare Corp.
Hartford HealthCare subsequently filed motions to dismiss and strike the litigation.
In a ruling dated Oct. 26, Hartford Superior Court Judge John B. Farley denied the motions, a decision that will allow the lawsuit to move forward.
Hartford HealthCare owns Hartford Hospital and a network of facilities around the state.
The litigation claims Hartford HealthCare illegally uses anticompetitive contracting and referral practices that drive up the cost of insurance premiums. It further claims insurers, employers and patients are paying unreasonably high prices for premiums and out-of-pocket costs as a result. It asserts that Hartford HealthCare charges considerably higher prices for care than competitors.
The lawsuit claims Hartford HealthCare’s business practices violate the Connecticut Antitrust Act and the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act.
“The court concludes that the plaintiffs have standing and their claims are legally sufficient,” Farley wrote, in a memorandum of decision. “The motions to dismiss and to strike the complaint are denied.”
Jamie Crooks, managing partner of Fairmark Partners LLP, one of the firms representing the plaintiffs, said of the decision, “This ruling is an important step in Connecticut residents’ effort to tackle the unjustifiably high prices at Hartford Healthcare that harm workers, businesses, taxpayers and unions.”
Tina Varona, a spokesperson for Hartford HealthCare, said via email of the ruling, “Hartford HealthCare remains focused on providing the highest quality care, in the most affordable settings, to the patients and communities that we have the privilege of serving.”
“This lawsuit has no merit, and we will continue to defend ourselves against these baseless allegations,” Varona said.
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