3 Clarice a young woman with a mental disability brought a m

3.) Clarice, a young woman with a mental disability, brought a malpractice suit against a doctor at the Medical Center. As a result, the Medical Center refused to treat her on a nonemergency basis. Clarice then went to another local clinic, which was later acquired by the Medical Center. Because the new clinic also refused to treat her, Clarice had to seek medical treatment in another town 40 miles away. Has the Medical Center violated the antitrust laws? Is it ethical to deny treatment to a patient?

Solution

Anti trust laws aims to promote fair competition for the benefit of customers by regulating the conduct of business organizations.

Here, the reason for the malpractice suit is not mentioned, and since Clarice has mental disability, i am assuming that the suit was made under a state of mental disturbance. This implies that there was no malpractice by Medical Center and they have refused to treat her because of the wrong allegation of malpractice made by Clarice.

Medical Center is not doing price fixing, they are not abusing their business power as a result of acquisition of the local clinic, there is no price discrimination or predatory pricing. So Medical Center is not violating anti trust laws.

Ethically, all patients should be provided with treatment. Denying treatment to any patient is unethical. The suit will be dismissed by the court given the circumstances of the case. The Medical Center should not deny the patient treatment beacuse of the fear of the suit.