During my time as a public servant in the state of Ohio, I learned a simple truth: markets work best when they are open, competitive, and accountable. When they are not, families pay the price. That’s why a recent lawsuit filed by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and the U.S. Department of Justice against OhioHealth caught my eye. Every Ohioan and every American should pay close attention to this case. 

OhioHealth is one of the largest healthcare providers in central Ohio, operating 13 hospitals and standalone emergency rooms across Franklin and Delaware counties, along with more than 200 affiliated physician offices and clinics. Its facilities include Grant Medical Center and Riverside Methodist Hospital.

According to the lawsuit filed in federal court in Columbus, OhioHealth controls more than 35 percent of general acute-care hospital beds in those two counties. In some Ohio counties, OhioHealth is the only option. The complaint alleges that OhioHealth has been using its massive scale to restrict competition illegally.

Attorney General Yost and the U.S. Department of Justice assert that OhioHealth has imposed contractual restrictions on insurance companies that prevent them from offering lower-cost, “budget-conscious” health plans. In effect, insurers allegedly cannot design plans that steer patients toward more affordable or higher-value competitors, such as Mount Carmel........

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