Kansas hospital’s antitrust lawsuit settled

Heartland Spine & Specialty Hospital of Overland Park, KS, has settled with the remaining defendants in an antitrust lawsuit that alleged a conspiracy to put the hospital out of business. Heartland said that the conspiracy included insurers refusing to offer Heartland managed-care contracts. Heartland was founded in 2003 by about 30 physicians, and the case had highlighted tensions between community hospitals and physician-owned medical facilities. Most of the settlements remain confidential.