Over 70% of physicians are now employed by a health care system or corporate entity, including publicly traded and private equity firms. Research to date shows that consolidation has increased health care prices with limited impact on quality or access to care. Yet the impact of consolidation is highly heterogeneous across market conditions. Research at CAHPR aims to inform policy by understanding this evolving landscape that has critical implications for competition, choice, access, and the structure of health care services.
Center for Advancing Health Policy through Research
Markets and Consolidation
While the health care industry has been consolidating for two decades, a number of trends are changing how physician markets are organized and how various stakeholders are impacted.
Recent News
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 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.
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.
Health Affairs Forefront
The Rise Of Health Care Consolidation And What To Do About It
CAHPR researchers examine the economic and healthcare implications of consolidation within the U.S. healthcare system while proposing legislative solutions aimed at curbing the adverse effects of consolidation.
Health Affairs Forefront
The FTC's Noncompete Rule: Legal Challenges And Potential Solutions For Physician Markets
The FTC's nationwide ban on non-compete agreements, originally set to take effect on September 4, 2024, is now entangled in legal battles that challenge the agency's authority. This article explores the ongoing debates, highlighting the loopholes in the current rule, and prescribes potential policy solutions.
Christopher Whaley, testified before Congress, highlighting the urgent need of health care price transparency and its role in combating high healthcare costs in the US and enhancing policy decision-making.
Dr. Ashish K. Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, addressed the House Committee on Ways and Means on why the U.S. is seeing a decline in private medical practices and what we can do about it.
Healthcare consolidation is fueled by the need for pricing power and financial stability under value-based care, but experts warn this trend threatens competition and transparency, calling for stronger oversight and legislative action.
The PE firm, Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe has been released from the ongoing case against U.S. Anesthesia Partners, for monopolization in Texas. What does this mean for PE firms and antitrust scrutiny?
Is private equity good AND bad? Listen to experts including Dr. Yashaswini Singh talk about private equity with a nuanced approach.
This article featuring Chris Whaley delves into whether the Valley Children's Hospital's actions align with its mission and the nonprofit ethos it claims to uphold.