When a hospital becomes your insurer: early clues from the payvider wave

Hospitals that also own insurance plans (the payvider model) are becoming more common, potentially improving care coordination but raising concerns about incentives to game risk-adjustment payments and inflate costs. Early data suggest affiliated Medicare Advantage plans can have higher premiums and prices than unaffiliated ones, though explanations vary and many questions remain about overall costs, care quality, and competition. More research is needed to understand the trade-offs.