OhioHealth has agreed to stop using contract provisions that federal antitrust enforcers said restricted insurers’ ability to guide patients to lower-cost providers, resolving one of two government healthcare competition cases against the system. The settlement is a notable reminder that, even as enforcement priorities shift more broadly in Washington, healthcare remains a sector where regulators continue to scrutinize contracting practices that may limit price competition.

At the center of the dispute were alleged “anti-steering” terms in payer contracts.

The U.S. Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division, joined by the Ohio Attorney General, has filed a civil antitrust suit against OhioHealth, alleging the health system used contracting practices that unlawfully restricted competition and increased healthcare costs. The case, United States of America et al v. OhioHealth Corporation, puts a spotlight on how enforcers are continuing to scrutinize not just mergers, but also the day-to-day terms health systems negotiate with commercial payers.

That distinction matters.