The American Dental Association accused Delta Dental Insurance Co. of monopolizing dental insurance, entering a dispute in Chicago federal court that began with a wave of lawsuits filed by dental practices last month.

The antitrust suits target Delta and its independent affiliates, which form a nationwide insurance network analogous to the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association led by Anthem Inc.

The Delta entities undermined competition by illegally dividing the country into 39 separate geographic markets, according to the proposed class actions filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

The scheme has freed the Delta-linked insurers…

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