Epic has asked a federal court to dismiss a class-action lawsuit accusing the EHR vendor of using its market dominance to restrict interoperability and make it difficult for disabled patients to obtain medical records needed for Social Security disability claims.
In a motion filed May 15 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, Epic argued the plaintiffs’ claims fail as a matter of law and said the company is a national leader in electronic medical record exchange with the Social Security Administration. The motion was view by Becker’s.
The lawsuit, filed in March by the American Association for Disability Justice and two individuals, alleges Epic’s MyChart architecture fragments patient records across separate provider portals and creates barriers for patients attempting to assemble longitudinal medical histories needed for disability determinations.
Epic denied the allegations in the filing, calling the complaint “a strawman attack against the very leader in interoperable exchange with the SSA.”
The company said more than 2.7 million records were electronically exchanged between the SSA and healthcare organizations using Epic software in 2025 alone. Epic also cited SSA Office of Inspector General findings describing Epic as a priority interoperability partner because its systems support data needed for disability determinations.
The plaintiffs allege Epic controls more than 40% of the hospital EHR market and requires patients receiving care across multiple health systems to log into separate MyChart portals tied to individual providers. The lawsuit claims those requirements delay disability claims and interfere with third-party efforts to aggregate records using federal interoperability standards.
Epic argued the structure reflects legal and operational requirements governing medical records rather than anticompetitive conduct. In the motion, the company said healthcare providers — not Epic — are custodians of patient records and are responsible under HIPAA for controlling access to those records.
The company also argued antitrust law does not require it to design products in ways that assist competitors or third-party aggregators.
Epic further contended the plaintiffs failed to establish monopoly power because the complaint itself alleges Epic holds roughly 40% market share in enterprise EHRs, which the company argued falls below thresholds courts typically require for monopolization claims.
The motion also seeks dismissal of claims brought under the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Rehabilitation Act and the 21st Century Cures Act.
Epic argued MyChart, as a digital platform, is not a “place of public accommodation” under Fifth Circuit ADA precedent. The company also argued the Rehabilitation Act does not apply because Epic does not directly receive federal funding.
On the Cures Act claims, Epic argued there is no private right of action allowing individuals to sue under the law’s information-blocking provisions.
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