U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Richard Blumenthal have sent a letter to US Anesthesia Partners (USAP) and its parent company, Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe, accusing them of engaging in restrictive noncompete agreements and a monopolistic business model. The senators claim that these practices have resulted in increased prices, suppressed workers' wages, and reduced patient care quality. USAP, which has over 4,500 clinicians across nine states, allegedly raised patient and payer costs, sometimes charging more than 70% of competitor rates. The company also utilized noncompete agreements, imposing significant financial penalties on physicians who attempted to leave. The senators' letter references President Joe Biden's Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy, which aims to address excessive industry concentration and market power abuse in healthcare. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Justice Department's proposed updated guidelines would enforce antitrust laws and prevent anticompetitive schemes. USAP's parent company, Welsh Carson, defended the company's actions, stating that their commercial rates have not exceeded medical cost inflation for nearly a decade. Senators Warren and Blumenthal have requested USAP's response to their questions regarding the company's use of price-driven monopoly power. [104fcad6] [97a9a140]