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Independent health news for Oregon and SW Washington

Federal appeals court upholds Oregon’s health care merger review law

A panel of judges dismissed hospitals' arguments that Oregon lawmakers set up a program that is vague and arbitrary. The ruling clears away a question hanging over the program's continued existence, but leaves other questions unanswered.
July 8, 2025
 
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people in surgical scrubs in hospital hallway
Hospital executives have protested the state's toughest-in-the-nation law allowing regulators to approve mergers and partnerships, saying it makes it harder for them to serve patients. | SHUTTERSTOCK
This article has been expanded to incorporate additional reporting.

A federal appeals court has upheld