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CAHPR in the News

King 5 News Seattle

HCA eyes ‘substantial growth’ of investor-owned hospitals amid rising costs in Washington

The trend toward investor ownership is part of a broader national shift in health-care consolidation, said Hayden Rooke-Ley, a senior fellow at Brown University’s School of Public Health. Over the last decade, large non-hospital retailers such as Amazon and Walgreens, along with insurance conglomerates, have restructured to own or manage medical practices, drug distributors and wholesalers.
The Providence Journal

A colonoscopy costs nearly eight times more at one RI hospital than another. Why?

This article quotes Brown University researchers Chris Whaley and Roslyn Murray from the CAHPR, who explain that wide hospital price differences across Rhode Island stem less from care quality and more from market consolidation. Whaley noted that “there’s really not a strong relationship between price and quality,” while Murray pointed to “empire-building tactics” and consolidation that give large health systems leverage to raise prices and obscure transparency
Fierce Healthcare

Commercial insurers paying $1,500 more per procedure at HOPDs than ASCs: study

This article discusses a Brown University study showing that commercial insurers pay nearly $1,500 more per procedure at hospital outpatient departments than at ambulatory surgical centers. The findings highlight large price variations across insurers and suggest opportunities for cost savings through selective contracting or site-neutral payment reforms.
STAT News

Hospitals get dinged for reporting too many infections. In some cases, the solution is not to test

Hospitals are discouraging infection testing to avoid Medicare penalties, a practice clinicians say jeopardizes patient safety and skews public reporting. As Brown University’s Andrew Ryan put it, “Basically, the measures are just really, really bad … this is honestly the worst” pay-for-performance program, underscoring deep flaws in how infection penalties are designed and enforced.
The Minnesota Star Tribune

Why UnitedHealth’s Medicare Advantage program is under attack

UnitedHealth’s Medicare Advantage program has come under scrutiny for allegedly exploiting diagnostic “upcoding” practices that drive billions in excess federal payments. Brown University researchers have launched Medicoding.org, a public tool that tracks how diagnostic coding in Medicare Advantage inflates payments to insurers. Health economist David Meyers explains that while some coding reflects real patient needs, much of the increase stems from insurers “gaming the system,” making beneficiaries appear sicker than they are
Healthcare Dive

House lawmakers scrutinize nonprofit hospitals’ tax-exempt status

Republican lawmakers pressed for stricter oversight of nonprofit hospitals at a House hearing, arguing that many exploit tax exemptions while providing limited charity care. Witnesses, including Brown University’s Christopher Whaley, highlighted that current reporting structures obscure hospital-level community benefit, and urged stronger, more transparent requirements to ensure accountability.
Brown University

Lawmakers can ensure that nonprofit hospitals benefit communities, Brown scholar tells Congress

In testimony before Congress, Brown University researcher Christopher Whaley revealed that many nonprofit hospitals reap massive financial benefits yet spend far less on community health than their tax exemptions are worth. With bipartisan concern mounting, Whaley urged reforms to ensure tax breaks translate into affordable, high-quality care for patients — not executive perks or stadium sponsorships.
The Boston Globe

Private equity ownership of opioid treatment programs has not improved access or decreased deaths, Brown University study finds

This article reports on a Health Affairs study led by Brown University researchers analyzed over a decade of private equity acquisitions in opioid treatment programs across 43 states. The findings show that despite rapid growth in private equity ownership, there were no measurable improvements in methadone access, treatment expansion, or opioid-related mortality
Brown University

Private equity's consolidation of opioid treatment market fails to expand methadone access

This article talks about a Health Affairs study led by researchers at CAHPR, University of Pittsburgh and the RAND Corporation on the current PE ownership of opioid treatment programs in the US. Despite acquiring large shares of the market, PE firms are not expanding access to methadone—leaving the treatment gap largely unchanged.
Forbes

Are Rural Hospitals Truly Rural? Only When Being Rural Pays

A new Health Affairs study reveals that hundreds of urban hospitals have secured “Medicare administratively rural” status—unlocking benefits meant for rural communities. While CMS prepares to roll out its $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program, the findings raise concerns about loopholes, misaligned incentives, and whether subsidizing facilities truly improves access for rural patients.
Financial Regulation News

Study: urban hospitals are posing as rural facilities to exploit federal funds

A large number of nonprofit hospitals located in urban cities are exploiting a Medicare definition that allows them to be considered both “urban” and “rural” simultaneously, letting them tap generous benefits and reimbursement models specifically intended for rural communities.
Bloomberg Law

Trump’s Demand for Direct Drug Sales Stokes Industry Interest

Drugmakers are experimenting with direct-to-consumer sales in response to Trump’s push for lower drug prices, aiming to bypass traditional middlemen like PBMs. While the strategy could reshape how patients access medications, experts warn its impact on affordability, safety, and equity remains uncertain.
Yahoo Finance

Trump administration tiptoes into testing prior authorization in traditional Medicare

Traditional Medicare plan holders have typically not had to wait for prior authorization before receiving medical treatment. CMS recently announced a new program to test prior authorization requirements for certain services in six states to root out fraud, waste and abuse. Jeffrey Marr highlights what’s needed to set up a well-functioning prior authorization system.
Modern Healthcare

Rural aid loophole: Urban hospital dual status sparks concerns

Another news article speaks on a study published in Health Affairs that reveals a sharp rise in urban hospitals reclassifying themselves as "rural" under Medicare rules, allowing them to access financial benefits intended for rural health providers. Researchers warn that this loophole could redirect billions in federal funds away from genuinely rural hospitals and urge policymakers to take corrective action.
Fierce Healthcare

Hundreds of urban hospitals could be double-dipping into rural Medicare funds, study finds

Hundreds of large, urban hospitals have taken advantage of a 2016 policy change to classify themselves as both urban and rural, allowing them to access financial benefits meant for rural hospitals. Researchers warn that this loophole could divert billions in taxpayer funds away from actual rural communities and into already well-funded urban hospitals unless policymakers intervene.
STAT News

Senators reveal how much Lilly, Pfizer paid telehealth companies

The article investigates how major drugmakers like Pfizer and Eli Lilly are paying telehealth companies millions of dollars to connect patients to providers, raising concerns about potential conflicts of interest and violations of anti-kickback laws. While both companies deny influencing prescriptions, lawmakers and experts worry these partnerships may steer patients toward expensive branded drugs and allow pharma firms to collect detailed patient data.
Health Justice Monitor

The Failure of Neoliberalism in Health Care

This article talks about two commentaries by Hayden Rooke-Ley that argue that neoliberal, profit-driven models of U.S. healthcare—particularly privatized Medicare and value-based payment—have failed patients by prioritizing corporate interests over access and quality of care. He calls for a shift to a publicly governed, single-payer system that removes financial conflicts of interest and restores decision-making to non-commercial entities and caregivers.
Managed Healthcare Executive

Private Equity in Healthcare: Colonoscopy Prices Soar While Care Remains the Same

This article covers a study in JAMA Health Forum finds that private equity-acquired gastroenterology practices significantly raised colonoscopy prices without any improvement in quality of care. The rise in costs was especially steep in highly consolidated markets, where prices surged by 6.7%. With no measurable gains in patient outcomes, the findings raise broader concerns about the impact of PE’s profit-driven model on healthcare affordability, transparency, and value.
The Boston Globe

The loophole that could allow another private equity debacle in Mass. health care

This article argues that despite Massachusetts’ recent reforms after the collapse of Steward Health Care, a major loophole still allows private equity to control medical practices through shell companies and “friendly physician” arrangements. Drawing on the century-old corporate practice of medicine (CPOM) doctrine, the article calls for stronger legal restrictions like those recently passed in Oregon to protect patient care from financial interests.
Healio

Private equity groups significantly raise colonoscopy prices at practices they acquire

This article reports on a study by Daniel R. Arnold, and colleagues who find that private equity-acquired gastroenterology practices significantly increase colonoscopy prices—by 4.5% more than independent practices—without improving care quality. Despite claims that consolidation boosts efficiency, the analysis showed no statistical difference in quality measures, raising concerns about affordability and access.
The Wall Street Journal

Lawmakers Seek to Close VA Loophole That Funnels Billions to Private Medicare Insurers

A bipartisan group of lawmakers has introduced legislation to stop Medicare Advantage insurers from collecting billions in federal payments for veterans who primarily receive care through the VA. Sparked by a Wall Street Journal investigation—supported by data from Brown University researchers—the bill aims to close a loophole that enabled an estimated $44 billion in excess payments from 2018 to 2021.
Global Competition Review

FTC study supports scrutiny of physician mergers, economists say

This article reports on a FTC study highlighting how roll-up acquisitions of physician practices—often led by private equity firms—can harm competition, raise prices, and reduce care quality. The study calls for increased scrutiny of serial acquisitions that fall below federal reporting thresholds, and experts say it could lead to stronger antitrust enforcement in healthcare markets.
Modern Healthcare

States push hospital price caps to rein in spending

Several states are adopting hospital price caps to curb rising healthcare costs, citing limited success from other reforms. Supporters see savings, while hospitals warn of revenue loss and service cuts. See what CAHPR's Roslyn Murray, Ph.D. has to say.
Brown University

Yashaswini Singh Named 2025 Aspen Ideas Health Fellow

Nominated by Arnold Ventures, Dr. Singh joined over 100 global fellows in Colorado in June 2025 to explore how market forces are reshaping health care at this year’s “Payoff: Investing in Health” conference by the Aspen Institute.
WPRI.COM

Community Focus: Brown University’s Andrew Ryan

This news video features Dr. Andrew Ryan, Director of CAHPR, discussing his study on Rhode Island’s hospital affordability standards, which led to significant hospital price and premium reductions—saving $1,000 per fully insured member by 2022.
Brown University

Market Power

Professors Erin Fuse Brown and Yashaswini Singh warn that private equity’s focus on short-term returns is reshaping healthcare at the expense of patients and providers. From overburdened hospitals to ethical dilemmas in mental health care, their insights expose how profit-driven ownership can undermine clinical priorities and public trust.
Rhode Island Current

Hospital price growth cap helped lower insurance premiums, Brown study shows

This article reports on a study by CAHPR researchers that found that Rhode Island’s 2010 hospital price growth cap significantly reduced hospital prices and lowered premiums for fully insured health plans by $1,000 per member annually by 2022. However, the policy had limited impact on the self-insured market due to federal ERISA regulations, and the resulting hospital revenue losses have raised concerns about financial sustainability and care quality.
The Boston Globe

Home health care workers are demanding better pay. Cuts to Medicaid could stand in their way.

The article discusses how home health care workers in Rhode Island are fighting for better wages and working conditions through unionization, but their efforts are at risk due to proposed federal Medicaid cuts. David J. Meyers, a health economist at Brown University, warns that such cuts could have a “massive, qualitative impact on people’s lives” and ultimately increase health care spending as unmet needs at home lead to more hospitalizations and emergency visits.
Las Vegas Review Journal

Bill would limit hospital fees in Nevada’s public employee health system

A Nevada bill aims to cap hospital fees for the Public Employees’ Benefits Program to reduce costs, drawing on Oregon's model, which researcher Roslyn Murray of Brown University studied and found led to significant savings without shifting costs to private insurers.
STAT News

New Medicare telehealth data drops as industry waits on Congress

The article discusses the looming expiration of pandemic-era Medicare telehealth expansions and the ongoing policy debate over their extension, including new research by Ateev Mehrotra and Jared Perkins who suggest that lowering reimbursement rates for telehealth could make its permanent expansion more financially and politically viable.
MedPage Today

The Danger of Trump's Deregulation Play — Healthcare without guardrails poses risks to patients and providers alike

The Trump administration's push for deregulation threatens to accelerate vertical integration in healthcare. Brown University professor, Dr. Christopher Whaley warns from existing research how this may lead to referrals to more expensive hospitals ultimately leading to higher costs, reduced competition, and financial strain on independent hospitals, particularly in rural areas as the article discusses.
Times Union

NY hospital prices four times higher than doctor's offices, report finds

This article talks about the analysis conducted by CAHPR researchers who find that routine medical care costs four times more in New York’s outpatient hospital facilities than in doctor’s offices, largely due to added facility fees. Economist Christopher Whaley and other experts have long highlighted such pricing disparities, fueling legislative efforts like the proposed Fair Pricing Act to cap these costs.
KFF Health News

Indiana Governor Appoints Business Leader To Shake Up Health Care

Gloria Sachdev has spent years challenging high hospital prices in Indiana, successfully pushing for healthcare cost transparency and legislative reforms. Her efforts, have led to a national report on hospital pricing and significant policy changes in the state.
Modern Healthcare

Hospitals cry foul as public option enrollment rises

This article covers a Brown University study, published in Health Affairs, which found that the Colorado Option lowered average marketplace premiums by $101 per month since 2020, while exchange premiums nationally rose by 10%.
Denver Post

Nearly half of buyers on individual market picked Colorado Option health plans for 2025

This article talks about two conflicting studies on the Colorado Option emerged—one, funded by the insurance industry, found only 2% of plans met the 10% premium reduction goal, while another, by Brown University researchers and backed by the Commonwealth Fund, highlighted it as a model, estimating $100 lower premiums than similar states without a public option.
Fierce Healthcare

Hospital, PE-affiliated primary care docs charge higher prices than independents, study finds

This article discusses a study led by Dr. Yashaswini Singh and published in JAMA Health Forum on trends in physician practice ownership, showing a significant shift from independent practices to corporate ownership, as well as the associated price increases, with hospital and PE-affiliated practices charging higher fees, and its implications for healthcare costs and quality.
The Oregonian/OregonLive

Doctors unions, like the one on strike at Providence, are growing more common

Physicians, traditionally less unionized, are aligning with nurses and other healthcare workers due to shared grievances over understaffing, burnout, and corporate cost-cutting practices exacerbated by the pandemic. Hayden Rooke-Ley comments on this trend highlighting his study that found that the number of physician unions formed between January 2023 and May 2024 nearly equaled those established over the previous two decades (2000–2022).
Humans in Public Health Podcast

How Research Shapes Health Policy on Capitol Hill

Jared Perkins, Director of Health Policy Strategy at CAHPR discusses bridging the gap between academia and policymakers, the challenges of navigating health policy under a shifting political climate, and the importance of aligning research with legislative priorities.
WBUR

New Harvard study raises concerns about hospital control by private equity

A new Harvard Medical School study found that patient satisfaction declines after PE takeovers due to cost-cutting measures, including staffing reductions. Dr. Yashaswini Singh from CAHPR comments on how patient experiences are crucial to understanding the broader effects of PE in healthcare, a frequently underrated aspect in studies on PE's impact on healthcare.
The Lund Report

OHSU's takeover of Legacy Health would violate federal market standards, advocates say

The article discusses the proposed merger of Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) and Legacy Health, which has drawn significant criticism for potentially violating federal antitrust standards. Advocates argue the merger would lead to excessive market consolidation in Oregon, controlling a majority of hospitals in key regions and potentially driving up healthcare costs without improving access or quality.
Health Leaders

Critical Access Hospitals Feel Unique Financial Strain

This article highlights a study led by Dr. Christopher Whaley that shows that while system affiliation helps improve CAHs’ financial stability, it often results in higher prices for patients.
Becker's Healthcare

Critical access hospitals face uphill battle: 6 things to know

This article explores the study by researchers from Johns Hopkins University and CAHPR at Brown University, which examines financial disparities between critical access hospitals (CAHs) and larger acute care hospitals from 2016 to 2022. The study highlights significant financial disparities, showing that system-affiliated critical access hospitals (CAHs) achieved higher operating margins than independent ones and highlights the need to balance financial sustainability with the risks of uneven care access and higher prices.
Providence Business News

Study: Hospital payment caps could save millions for state employee health plans

This news article covers the study led by CAHPR researchers who found that state employee health plans could save over $7 billion annually by capping hospital payments at 200% of Medicare rates. The findings suggest that such caps could ease budgetary pressures while minimizing disruptions to hospital operations.
The New Yorker

The Gilded Age of Medicine Is Here

This article dives into the controversial world of private equity in healthcare, where profit-driven strategies lead to higher patient costs and declining care quality. This article examines real examples, from staffing cuts to surprise billing, and explores how these changes threaten physician autonomy and the stability of U.S. healthcare.
Healthcare Innovation

Hospital Payment Caps Could Safely Save Millions

This news article provides continued coverage of the study by CAHPR researchers on hospital payment caps, and it's potential for saving billions without harming hospital finances.
Axios

Hospital billing practices won billions in extra payments, study finds

This article highlights a study by Christopher Whaley showing how hospitals have received billions in extra payments by documenting care at higher levels of complexity than expected. This practice, known as "upcoding," raises concerns about the incentives in current payment systems and their impact on rising healthcare costs.
STAT News

Congress’ critical opportunity to reshape health care

The article written by CAHPR researchers, emphasizes the opportunity for Congress, in its final weeks of the 118th session, to advance healthcare affordability and transparency through the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act (LCMT) and the Health Care PRICE Transparency Act 2.0
STAT News

UnitedHealth pays its own physician groups considerably more than others, driving up consumer costs and its profits

UnitedHealth Group's insurance arm, UnitedHealthcare, pays its own Optum physician practices significantly higher rates than other providers in the same markets, driving up costs for consumers and employers while enriching itself. This practice highlights the conflicts of interest and anti-competitive effects of vertical integration in healthcare, raising calls for regulatory intervention.
The Oregonian/OregonLive

Oregon regulators plan deep dive on OHSU-Legacy merger: 6 things to know

This article outlines six key points about Oregon's regulatory review of the OHSU-Legacy merger. Hayden Rooke-Ley's critique of the OHSU-Legacy merger, emphasizing how OHSU's broad market definition may obscure significant anticompetitive risks, presenting a critical test for Oregon's Health Care Market Oversight program.
Portland Business Journal

OHSU-Legacy merger: Regulators explore antitrust concerns

This article examines the Oregon Health Authority's comprehensive review of the proposed merger between OHSU and Legacy Health, highlighting key concerns about market concentration, potential cost increases, and the future of health care access and competition in the region.
The Washington Post

Medicare Advantage insurers fear losing millions over a few bad phone calls

This article examines lawsuits from Medicare Advantage insurers, who claim minor customer service issues threaten millions in bonuses, while experts like Brown University's David Meyers argue that these cases reveal deeper flaws in a rating system that overstates plan quality without accurately reflecting patient care.
The American Prospect

Are Democrats Even a Little Serious About Stopping Private Equity?

The article exposes Ralph de la Torre's misuse of private equity-backed Steward Health for personal gain while highlighting the broader issue of private equity's damaging impact on healthcare, with legislative efforts for reform largely stymied by political and lobbying pressures.
Vox

The profit-obsessed monster destroying American emergency rooms

This article explores how private equity firms have taken control of many U.S. emergency rooms, prioritizing profit by reducing physician hours, replacing doctors with less qualified staff, and inflating costs, resulting in compromised patient care and increased bills, despite regulatory efforts like the No Surprises Act.
Harvard Medical School

Hospital-SNF Integration and APM Participation

This article highlights a study published in JAMA Network Open that explores the impact of hospital-SNF (skilled nursing facility) integration on participation in alternative payment models (APMs), particularly focusing on the Bundled Payments for Care Improvement Advanced (BPCI-A) program. The findings reveal that while integration influences APM participation, the effects are complex, pointing to broader implications for healthcare systems.
POLITICO Pulse

FTC poised to shake up health care

Erin Fuse Brown weighs in on the potential impact of the FTC's new rules against noncompete agreements, analyzing how this significant shift could empower healthcare workers and reshape the dynamics of the industry.
Health Affairs Forefront

Congress Has The Opportunity To Deliver Health Care Price Transparency

Congress has a critical opportunity to advance healthcare price transparency, a move that could empower consumers and reduce costs across the system. This article explores the current state of healthcare price transparency and the critical role Congress plays in shaping a system that prioritizes clarity and fairness for all Americans.
TechTarget

Hospital payment cap slashes prices in Oregon

Rev Cycle Management, an information avenue for revenue cycle management writes on the Health Affairs study led by Brown researchers on the impact of hospital payment caps in Oregon and the health savings achieved for the state.
The American Prospect

Attack of the Straw Doctors

This article looks at how private equity firms are increasingly employing "straw doctors" to circumvent restrictions on corporate ownership of medical practices -- threatening the quality of patient care and the integrity of the medical profession.
Health Affairs

The Top-Ten Health Affairs Forefront Articles Of 2023

Associate Professor of Health Services, Policy & Practice, Dr. Chris Whaley's 2023 publication along with other colleagues "What’s Behind Losses At Large Nonprofit Health Systems? " gets recognized as one of the top ten most read Health Affairs Forefront articles in 2023.
The New York Times

Which to Choose: Medicare or Medicare Advantage?

David Meyers, a health services researcher at Brown University, and his colleagues have been tracking differences between original Medicare and Medicare Advantage for years, using data from millions of people.

Learn more about CAHPR

At CAHPR, we bridge the gap by transforming the knowledge gained through research into practical and actionable policies.