STAT+: Epic must face claims it used monopoly power to harm a rival business, judge rules

In a rare legal setback, Epic Systems will face claims that it illegally used monopoly power as the nation’s dominant electronic health record vendor to unfairly butt out a rival from a growing business serving health insurers.

Judge Naomi Buchwald in the Southern District of New York allowed Particle Health to proceed with claims that Epic acted as a monopoly under the federal Sherman Antitrust Act. In a ruling issued late Friday, Buchwald dismissed one of Particle’s claims alleging contract interference as well as counts alleging defamation and trade libel.

The ruling means that Epic, an increasingly dominant force in the medical records business, will be subjected to discovery in the case and will be forced to turn over corporate records and other documents relating to Particle Health’s monopoly claims. The case is being watched closely for its implications for Epic as well as the broader landscape of businesses arrayed around increasingly valuable data held in electronic health records.

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