Center for Advancing Health Policy through Research

By Maya Goldman

Interview by Rob Lott

Researchers found UnitedHealthcare paid 17% more to Optum than to other providers.

Researchers said the results suggest UnitedHealth may be sidestepping government rules meant to keep a lid on exorbitant payer profits.

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.