OhioHealth Reaches Proposed Antitrust Settlement with Federal, State Regulators
OhioHealth has reached a proposed settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice and Ohio’s attorney general to resolve an antitrust lawsuit filed in February 2026. The suit alleged the Columbus-based system used its market dominance to force insurers into anticompetitive contracts, leading to higher prices.
The agreement, announced on June 16, 2026, requires OhioHealth to void the problematic contract language and prevents the system from seeking similar terms in the future. The settlement, which is still subject to court approval, includes the appointment of a monitor to ensure compliance for five years.
As part of the deal, OhioHealth did not admit wrongdoing and will not pay any penalties or fines. The health system stated it agreed to settle to avoid the costs of litigation, noting the contract language dated back two decades. Regulators have recently increased scrutiny of such payer-provider contracts, filing a similar suit against NewYork-Presbyterian in March 2026, according to Healthcare Dive.