HEALTHCARE MARKETS
Private Enforcement Cases Highlight Consolidation and Anticompetitive Practices in Healthcare Industry
Amy Y. Gu, Managing Editor February 14, 2022
As federal and state agencies ramp up enforcement in healthcare antitrust following the Biden executive order calling for revamped competition in the industry, private entities are also increasingly joining in the action. In this month’s Litigation and Enforcement Highlights, we take a look at a pair of recent private antitrust cases that allege anticompetitive conduct of large hospital systems. Saint Francis Hospital v. Hartford HealthCare (Connecticut) Last month, Hartford HealthCare in Connecticut was hit with an antitrust lawsuit filed in federal court by competitor Saint Francis Hospital, alleging that …
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The Source Roundup: February 2022 Edition
Hannah Park, Student Fellow February 1, 2022
This month’s roundup focuses on articles and reports highlighting new research and insights relating to the high and rising costs of health care, which remain a major regulatory challenge for state and federal policymakers across the nation. First, we examine 1) research discussing potential strategies for price regulation and how it could support market competition, as well as 2) proposals for price growth caps via insurance rate review. Also highlighted in this month’s roundup are studies on healthcare costs, specifically 3) state-level trends in the overall cost of employer health …
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The Source Roundup: January 2022 Edition
Hannah Park, Student Fellow January 3, 2022
Happy New Year! In this inaugural issue of 2022, we roundup articles and reports that you may have missed from the year end that examine various healthcare price and competition issues, including 1) an observational study on states’ merger review powers and their effect and 2) a review of policy options for addressing the extent and impact of consolidation in California. In addition, we cover articles that examine 3) the correlation between prices disclosed under the new hospital price regulation with total costs of care among commercially insured individuals, 4) …
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Third Circuit Hears Oral Arguments in High-Stakes Hackensack Meridian Appeal
Amy Y. Gu, Managing Editor December 15, 2021
All eyes are on Hackensack Meridian Health’s proposed acquisition of Englewood Healthcare Foundation as the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral arguments in the FTC challenge last week. As healthcare entities continue to actively pursue mergers and affiliations during —and in part driven by— the coronavirus pandemic, the outcome of this New Jersey merger may have significant implications for both federal and state antitrust enforcement across the country. In this post, The Source brings you up to speed with the latest developments leading up to the high-stakes appeal and …
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Spotlight on State: North Carolina
Amy Y. Gu, Managing Editor December 14, 2021
This is part of a series of summaries that highlight notable legislation and initiatives in health policy and reform of all 50 states. Check back on The Source as we roll out additional states each week. See North Carolina page. North Carolina is a state that is active in antitrust enforcement in the healthcare market. In addition to prohibiting most-favored nation clauses in provider contracts, the state is also the site of a major enforcement case that alleged anticompetitive contract practice in a lawsuit against Atrium Health (formerly Carolinas Healthcare …
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What’s Ahead for 2022: Promising Healthcare Bills Pending in the California Legislature
Enne Mae Guerrero, Graduate Research Fellow December 13, 2021
The California legislature has passed nearly 800 bills in the 2021 session. As part of the two-year term, the legislature still has the opportunity to enact more meaningful healthcare legislation in the second year of the 2021-2022 legislative term. In the last issue of the California Legislative Beat, we recapped the 2021 legislative session and detailed the enacted and vetoed bills that enhance healthcare delivery, ensure healthcare access and coverage, promote price transparency, and reinforce competition and enforcement. In this post, we summarize some of the key pending legislation in …
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New Video Explainer Focuses on Primary Driver of High Health Care Prices: Health Care Consolidation
Amy Y. Gu, Managing Editor December 6, 2021
Health care consolidation has been on the rise for decades, leading to higher health care prices, not higher quality. Today, two-thirds of hospitals in the U.S. are part of a larger health system; almost 1 in 3 physicians now works in a hospital-owned practice. Many regions are dominated by a single system, leaving patients and families without access to affordable, high-quality care. Arnold Ventures recently released the second video in a series about high health care prices and the impact they have on health care costs and affordability for …
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Spotlight on State: Nebraska
Hannah Park, Student Fellow December 6, 2021
This is part of a series of summaries that highlight notable legislation and initiatives in health policy and reform of all 50 states. Check back on The Source as we roll out additional states each week. See Nebraska page. Nebraska has advanced several healthcare price transparency initiatives in the state. To protect patients from surprise billing, the legislature enacted the Out-of-Network Emergency Medical Care Act that prohibits providers from billing patients for medical care received from out-of-network providers or facilities in emergency situations. In addition, Nebraska patients have the ability …
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The Source Roundup: December 2021 Edition
Enne Mae Guerrero, Graduate Research Fellow December 1, 2021
This month’s Roundup focuses on articles highlighting market consolidation and healthcare affordability, which can both have important implications for patient outcomes. First, we examine articles and reports that study 1) the need for a robust administrative review process for all healthcare transactions, 2) post-merger outcomes for hospital system and patients, and 3) consolidation in the dialysis industry. Next, we highlight articles and reports focusing on growing healthcare costs and affordability that specifically examine 4) the impact of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, 5) changes in employer healthcare benefits …
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Spotlight on State: Montana
Hannah Park, Student Fellow November 23, 2021
This is part of a series of summaries that highlight notable legislation and initiatives in health policy and reform of all 50 states. Check back on The Source as we roll out additional states each week. See Montana page. Montana promotes the use of telemedicine by providing coverage and cost-sharing parity between telemedicine and in-person services. Coverage for telemedicine services must be equivalent to the coverage for in-person services. To make telemedicine services more affordable to patients, cost-sharing requirements that are not generally applicable to in-person services may not be …
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