North Carolina Attorney General's Lawsuit Against HCA Healthcare Over Mission Hospital to Proceed to Trial
A lawsuit filed by the North Carolina Attorney General's office against HCA Healthcare regarding conditions at Asheville's Mission Hospital is set to proceed to trial. The case, initiated by former Attorney General Josh Stein in December 2023, alleges that HCA violated the terms of its 2019 purchase agreement of the Mission Health System by reducing the level and quality of services, including emergency and cancer care. North Carolina Business Court Judge Julianna Theall Earp denied motions by HCA and current Attorney General Jeff Jackson to resolve the case without a trial, emphasizing the need for a trial to interpret the contract terms. HCA maintains that only the complete elimination of services would breach the agreement, while the Attorney General's office argues that the reduction in service quality constitutes a breach. 
