Tag

Hospital Consolidation

All articles tagged with #hospital consolidation

health-policy26 days ago•14 min saved

Hospital pricing fight heats up as drugmakers and insurers target care providers

Drugmakers and insurers have stepped up campaigns to blame hospitals for high U.S. health-care costs, aiming to curb the 340B drug-discount program and push site-neutral policies as lawmakers consider Medicare pay cuts and tighter regulation. Hospitals counter that mergers, rising drug costs, and administrative burdens drive prices, and are increasing lobbying and messaging to defend their position while policy changes—backed by the Trump administration and Congress—loom, including potential restructuring of 340B and scrutiny of hospital consolidations.

via Politico|

#340b-program #drug-prices #health-policy

business1 month ago•55 min saved

Atrium Health moves to merge with WakeMed, widening NC hospital footprint

Charlotte-based Atrium Health plans to merge with Raleigh-based WakeMed Health & Hospitals, expanding Atrium’s reach to five WakeMed hospitals and about 3,300 new jobs with more than $2 billion in investment for Wake County. The deal would reshape North Carolina’s health-care market, potentially boosting insurer bargaining power while raising concerns about higher costs without clear quality gains, prompting calls from state officials for careful antitrust scrutiny. Smaller systems see consolidation as a hedge against Medicaid cuts (HR 1), and Atrium’s “combination” structures add complexity to public oversight. Wake County’s board will vote on a transfer agreement amendment related to the deal.

via North Carolina Health News|

#atrium-health #business #competitionantitrust-concerns

health-policy1 month ago•104 min saved

Policy-Driven Hospital Consolidation Fuels Price Inflation, Report Warns

A policy-focused paper argues U.S. hospitals have become expensive largely because government policies reward consolidation and shield providers from competition—via CON laws, physician-owned hospital barriers, subsidies, and complex payment schemes—leading to prices rising faster than inflation even as outpatient care grows. Hospitals remain profitable, supported by Medicare/Medicaid and investment income, while price transparency is limited and costs are driven up by subsidies and consolidation. The report calls for site-neutral Medicare/Medicaid payments, tighter subsidy oversight, repeal of anticompetitive rules, targeted charity-care standards, and reform of hospital subsidies to reward efficiency and true need, aiming to restore competition and reduce costs for patients and taxpayers.

via Paragon Health Institute|

#340b-drug-program #government-policy #health-policy