Dive Brief:

Indiana’s health department has approved Union Hospital’s acquisition of Terre Haute Regional Hospital, despite opposition to the deal from antitrust regulators in both the Biden and Trump administrations.

Gov. Mike Braun announced the green light on Sunday after state regulators approved Union’s application for a Certificate of Public Advantage, clearing the way for the merger to be finalized. It’s the state’s first approval under its law allowing COPAs, which are controversial mechanisms that make it easier for potentially anticompetitive hospital mergers to pass regulatory review.

Braun said the merger, which Union has pursued for years, would lower prices and make healthcare more accessible for Indiana residents. However, the Federal Trade Commission and independent anti

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