The Federal Trade Commission has resolved an antitrust case against Welsh Carson, which was tied up in a lawsuit alongside its portfolio company, U.S. Anesthesia Partners.
In a lawsuit filed Sept. 21, 2023, against USAP and Welsh Carson, the FTC alleged that the two companies executed an anticompetitive scheme to consolidate anesthesiology practices in Texas, drive up the price of services and boost their profits. The FTC claimed that Welsh Carson executed a roll-up scheme, buying up almost every large anesthesia practice in Texas to create a single, dominant provider that could demand higher prices.
In August 2024, USAP asked the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to dismiss the lawsuit, which declined the request.
In January, the FTC reached a settlement with Welsh Carson, requiring the company to limit its involvement with USAP and notify the FTC of specified future acquisitions and investments in anesthesia and other hospital-based physician practices.
The FTC has finalized that consent order, according to a May 20 news release. The FTC’s case against USAP continues to proceed in federal court.
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