U.S. Anesthesia Partners secured a court order pausing the Federal Trade Commission’s antitrust lawsuit while the parties work to finalize a proposed settlement.
The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas issued the stay May 26. The FTC and USAP said April 23 they had reached an agreement in principle to resolve litigation that began in 2023 over allegations the company consolidated anesthesia practices and used market power to inflate prices in Texas, according to a June 1 news release from Gibbs & Bruns, the law firm representing USAP.
The settlement terms remain confidential while USAP implements proposed relief over the next 180 days. Any final agreement will require approval from the FTC and the court.
A separate private antitrust lawsuit against USAP remains active. In Burbage v. USAP, plaintiffs allege the company used a series of acquisitions to monopolize Texas anesthesia markets and raise prices for patients.
The case remains in discovery. Class certification proceedings are scheduled for late 2026 and early 2027, and a trial is set for January 2028, according to the release.
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