A new report reveals that private equity firms have been acquiring physician practices and forming powerful medical groups across the country. In some local markets, a single private equity firm owns more than 30 percent of practices in a given specialty, and in 13 percent of markets, the firms own groups that employ over half of the local specialists. These medical groups are associated with higher prices in their respective markets, particularly when they control a dominant share. The private equity industry’s focus on profits has raised concerns about the quality of patient care and the potential for exploiting loopholes in regulations. This report highlights the need for strong antitrust tools to address consolidation trends.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/10/upshot/private-equity-doctors-offices.html