Judge Allows Particle Health Antitrust Lawsuit Against Epic to Proceed

A federal judge in the Southern District of New York has allowed key antitrust claims by startup Particle Health against electronic health record (EHR) giant Epic Systems to proceed, while dismissing several other claims. Particle alleges that Epic, which controls health data for 94% of Americans, used its dominant market position to block competitors from accessing patient data via the Carequality exchange framework, thereby stifling competition in the payer platform market. The court found credible evidence that Epic engaged in anti-competitive conduct, including selectively restricting Particle’s access to data and interfering with its customer contracts. However, claims related to defamation, conspiracy, and certain other allegations were dismissed. Epic maintains that its software is open and compliant with HIPAA, asserting that it protects patient privacy and denies any wrongdoing. The ruling marks a significant development in the lawsuit, allowing Particle to pursue its core monopolization claims and move into fact discovery.