COLUMBUS, Ohio (Feb. 20, 2026) — Dave Yost announced Thursday that his office has joined the United States Department of Justice in filing an antitrust lawsuit against OhioHealth, alleging the hospital system uses anticompetitive contracts that drive up health-care costs.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, claims OhioHealth leverages its market power to require insurers to include the system in all of their commercial insurance networks. According to the complaint, that practice prevents insurers from offering lower-cost plan options to employers and families in central Ohio.
“When competition is blocked, consumers end up being the biggest losers,” Yost said in a statement. “My office stands with the Justice Department in our determination to eliminate these types of unfair practices and protect Ohioans’ wallets.”
U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi said the case is part of a broader effort to address rising health-care costs nationwide.
“Americans deserve low-cost, high-quality health care — not anticompetitive hospital system contracts that make health care less affordable,” Bondi said. “Under President Trump’s leadership, this Department of Justice will continue taking legal action to protect consumers and drive down health-care costs across America.”
The lawsuit seeks to bar OhioHealth from enforcing contract provisions that allegedly restrict insurers from creating more affordable or innovative health-plan options. Prosecutors argue that lifting those restrictions would allow insurers to design lower-priced plans and give patients more choices among providers.
The complaint alleges violations of the federal Sherman Antitrust Act and Ohio’s Valentine Act, both of which prohibit business practices that unreasonably restrain competition.
OhioHealth owns or manages 16 hospitals and multiple outpatient facilities across the state.
The Attorney General’s Office said it is working alongside federal partners to restore competition in Ohio’s health-care marketplace and protect consumers from higher premiums and reduced choices.
