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Modern Healthcare:
Data suggest hospital consolidation drives higher prices for privately insured

15 December 2015

Commercial health plans that cover workplace benefits for millions of Americans pay higher prices to hospitals that have little or no competition, according to a new study that raises questions about how to slow U.S. health spending amid a wave of consolidation. In a study published by the National Bureau of Economic Research, researchers analyzed health spending across multiple U.S. markets and compared the numbers for Medicare with claims data for 88 million patients with employer-sponsored health insurance.

This article was published online by Modern Healthcare on December 15, 2015
Link to article here

Related publications
'The Price Ain't Right? Hospital Prices and Health Spending on the Privately Insured', Zack Cooper, Stuart Craig, Martin Gaynor and John Van Reenen, Centre for Economic Performance Discussion Paper No.1395, December 2015

Related links
Zack Cooper webpage
John Van Reenen webpage
Growth Programme webpage

Read more... Modern Healthcare