News, Developments and Practical Advice from Antitrust Leaders

Antitrust Advocate

Home | Antitrust Advocate

<a href="https://antitrustadvocate.bakerhostetlerblogs.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2013/07/Healthcare_bigstock-Hand-Holding-A-Caduceus-Sphere1.jpg"><img class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-609" src="https://antitrustadvocate.bakerhostetlerblogs.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2013/07/Healthcare_bigstock-Hand-Holding-A-Caduceus-Sphere.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="100" /></a>A recent article in the Antitrust Law Journal, “<a href="http://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/publishing/antitrust_law_journal/at_journal_v78i3_tucker.authcheckdam.pdf">A Survey of Evidence Leading to Second Requests at the FTC</a>,” by Darren S. Tucker, an attorney advisor to a FTC Commissioner who reviewed non-public information on the decisions to investigate proposed transactions for the period August 2008 to August 2012, sheds light on the types of evidence that the FTC staff uses to determine whether a transaction warrants a “second request” under the <a href="http://uscode.house.gov/uscode-cgi/fastweb.exe?getdoc+uscview+t13t16+557+1++%28%29%20%20AND%20%28%2815%29%20ADJ%20USC%29%3ACITE%20AND%20%28USC%20w%2F10%20%2818a%29%29%3ACITE%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20">Hart-Scott-Rodino</a> (“HSR”) Act.  The issuance of a “second request” is a significant event, because it prevents the parties to a proposed transaction from closing until after they have substantially complied with the request for additional information and have observed a second waiting period.  As the article rightly notes, the “decision whether to issue” a “second request” is “a critical stage of the HSR process.” What evidence does the FTC staff look at to determine whether a transaction warrants a “second request”?  Based on the article, a number of observations can be made about healthcare transactions involving mergers or other combinations of competing hospitals, physician services groups, medical laboratories, or pharmacies that led to a “second request” (“provider healthcare transactions”). First, for those provider healthcare transactions receiving a “second request,” (1) the size and relative number of “market” participants played a role 100% of the time, (2) the unlikelihood that competitive entry would deter or offset the anticompetitive effects of the proposed transaction played a role 83% of the time, (3) customer concerns that the proposed transaction would lead to anticompetitive effects played a role 67% of the time, and (4) internal “hot” documents from the combining providers themselves predicting that the proposed transaction will result in anticompetitive effects such as higher prices or a loss of competition played a role 50% of the time. Second, the change in the number of significant competitors played a role for those provider healthcare transactions determined to warrant a “second request.”  (The article identifies a significant competitor as a firm that either offers the products or services demanded by most customers in an area, or exceeds a share threshold, which was often 5 percent.)  The table below reports the change in number of “significant competitors” for those provider healthcare transactions that received a “second request.” <a href="https://antitrustadvocate.bakerhostetlerblogs.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2013/07/Chart111.jpg"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-745" src="https://antitrustadvocate.bakerhostetlerblogs.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2013/07/Chart11.jpg" alt="" width="646" height="64" /></a> Not surprisingly, nine of the 11 provider healthcare transactions that received a “second request” resulted in three or fewer “significant competitors” post-transaction. Finally, provider healthcare transactions that received a “second request” resulted in a high concentration post-merger.  Concentration is measured by calculating the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (“HHI”), which is simply the sum of the squares of the shares of the competitors in the “market.”  According to the antitrust agencies’ guidelines for horizontal mergers, mergers that result in an increase in the HHI of more than 100 points with a post-merger HHI of at least 1,500 “often warrant scrutiny,” whereas mergers resulting in an increase in the HHI of more than 200 with a post-merger HHI above 2,500 “will be presumed to be likely to enhance market power.”  (A merger enhances market power “if it is likely to encourage one or more firms to raise price, reduce output, diminish innovation, or otherwise harm customers as a result of diminished competitive constraints or incentives.”)  As noted in the table below, all but three of the provider healthcare transactions that received a “second request” resulted in an increase in the HHI of more than 200 with a post-merger HHI above 2,500.  In other words, the vast majority of provider healthcare transactions receiving a “second request” were “presumed be likely to enhance market power,” based on high concentration after the proposed transaction and a large increase in the HHI. <a href="https://antitrustadvocate.bakerhostetlerblogs.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2013/07/chart21.jpg"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-747" src="https://antitrustadvocate.bakerhostetlerblogs.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2013/07/chart2.jpg" alt="" width="660" height="244" /></a> So, what does this mean in terms of predicting whether the FTC will investigate your proposed healthcare transactions?  Antitrust counsel (and an economic expert) should be involved in your proposed healthcare transaction as soon as possible.  Also, although a second request can only be issued in connection with transactions that are large enough to require a premerger filing under the HSR Act, the same factors are likely to apply to potential investigations of transactions that are too small to require an HSR filing and may already have been completed.  The FTC and the Justice Department regularly investigate mergers of healthcare providers even though no HSR filing was required. Drawing on the experience of members of our healthcare team in complementary areas of health law, including transactions, tax, labor and employment, and healthcare regulation, our team of antitrust lawyers have the depth and experience to handle the most significant antitrust healthcare matters.  If you have any questions regarding this matter, or would like to learn more about our healthcare antitrust capabilities, please contact Jonathan L. Lewis, jllewis@bakerlaw.com or 202.861.1557 or Lee H. Simowitz, lsimowitz@bakerlaw.com or 202.861.1608.

Will the FTC Investigate My Provider Healthcare Transaction?