BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - A federal appeals court has upheld a ruling blocking a proposed merger between Sanford Health and Mid Dakota Clinic.
The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday affirmed U.S. Magistrate Judge Alice Senechal’s preliminary injunction in 2017 blocking the merger.
North Dakota Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem and the Federal Trade Commission alleged the deal would violate antitrust law by significantly lessening competition for health care services in the Bismarck-Mandan area.
Stenehjem says the appeals court panel “recognized the potential negative consequences for patients in the Bismarck-Mandan area.”
Sanford and Mid Dakota agreed to merge in 2017.
The 8th Circuit found that as a combined entity, Sanford and Mid Dakota Clinic would have up to a 98% share of many health care services in the region.
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