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In the latest sign that federal regulators are uneasy about the flurry of proposed health care mergers taking place, the Federal Trade Commission said on Friday that it planned to block the combination of two large Illinois hospital groups. (Abelson, 12/18)

Why might a hospital in Fairfield County charge privately insured patients nearly $2,000 more for a Cesarean section than one in Hartford? Why would a hospital in the Bronx, N.Y. charge up to 12 times more for some MRIs than a hospital in Baltimore? The answer is a complicated one, having to do with negotiations between hospitals and private insurers, as well as the growing trend of hospital mergers and collaborations. A new study, co-authored by a Yale University economist, analyzed 92 billion health insurance claims from 88 million people covered by three of the nation’s largest insurance companies — Aetna, Humana and United Health — from 2007 to 2011. The researchers found that hospital pricing, and health care spending, varied by thousands of dollars depending on the region of the country. (Cuda, 12/19)

A judge says a hospital in Yakima has violated the state Charity Care Act by demanding payment from indigent patients. Superior Court Judge Susan Hahn said in a ruling this month that the actions of Yakima Regional Medical and Cardiac Center constituted a breach of contract between the hospital and the patients in question. She also granted a motion requiring the hospital to turn over certain information long sought by the plaintiffs to bolster their class-action lawsuit. (12/20)