The new healthcare law encourages collaboration by doctors and hospitals for cost savings, but a split has developed here as to just how far they can go without running afoul of antitrust laws. An influential Republican member of the Federal Trade Commission, J. Thomas Rosch, said that without "vigorous antitrust enforcement," the new alliances of healthcare providers could reduce competition and increase costs to consumers. Rosch set forth his concerns in private letters to the White House and the federal Medicare agency. The letters, obtained by The New York Times, reveal a struggle between the Justice Department and the commission over who should police the market.
