St. Luke’s 2012 acquisition of Saltzer was challenged by the FTC, two of St. Luke’s competitors — Saint Alphonsus Health System and Treasure Valley Hospital, both in Boise — and the Idaho attorney general.
In January 2014, Chief U.S. Judge B. Lynn Winmill ruled the system’s acquisition of Saltzer, one of the largest independent multispecialty groups in Idaho, would cause substantial anticompetitive effects. The judge ordered St. Luke’s to divest Saltzer.
In June 2014, St. Luke’s appealed the January decision, and the court ruled St. Luke’s could maintain ties with Saltzer while the case was on appeal.
In February, the appeals court upheld the federal judge’s ruling that St. Luke’s acquisition of Saltzer was anti-competitive.
The plaintiffs in the case believe the divestiture needs to occur as soon as possible. However, the appeals court rejected their arguments and is allowing St. Luke’s to keep Saltzer for now, as the system could still request a rehearing of the case.
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