Health Industry Consolidation In California Has Raised Prices, Curbed Consumer Choices
Northern California, where much of the consolidation has occurred, has been particularly hard hit by prices, a new report finds.
Capital Public Radio:
Health Care Mergers And Rising Prices Under Scrutiny In California
Hospital mergers—and the effect of those mergers on medical costs—have caught the eye of California elected officials. A new report from the UC Berkeley Petris Center on Health Care Markets finds a rapid consolidation of health insurance and care providers in the state has raised prices, as it’s decreased consumer options. “It is clear that the market for health care and health insurance is now highly concentrated in California,” the report concludes. “This has likely reduced the level of competition, which has resulted in higher prices and [Affordable Care Act] premiums in California. The significant variation in prices and ACA premiums across the state suggests regulatory and legislative solutions need to be implemented.” (Bradford, 3/26)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Health Care Costs 30% More In Northern California Than In Rest Of The State
People living in areas where there is greater consolidation among hospitals, physician groups and insurance companies pay more for health care, according to a study released Monday. The study analyzed consolidation in the hospital, insurance and physician markets in California between 2010 and 2016. (Ho, 3/26)