ABC News: As a Midwestern state’s hospitals continue to merge, some experts worry about higher prices, quality of care
By Darrel Rowland March 22, 2022 COLUMBUS, Ohio – If you need to go to the hospital in Ohio these days, your choices are dominated by a handful of multibillion-dollar medical systems. The state’s seven largest medical systems run a combined 58 community hospitals – more than 40% of the total – American Hospital Association […]
Fortune: Big Hospitals vs. Big Pharma: Which industry is most to blame for soaring health care costs?
By Geoff Colvin April 8, 2021 ILLUSTRATION BY DAN PAGE “It’s just appalling,” says Molly Smith, group vice president for public policy at the American Hospital Association. She’s talking about a new report from the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA). “Hospitals’ Practices Increase Costs of Medicines for Patients & Employers,” the press release […]
Becker’s Hospital Review: Hospitals mark up drug prices by 250% on average, analysis finds
By Maia Anderson January 20, 2021 Hospitals mark up drug prices by 250 percent on average, according to an analysis from Ronny Gal, a senior research analyst at Bernstein. Mr. Gal analyzed prices hospitals charge for drugs, with data disclosed as of Jan. 1. He found that hospitals mark up some drugs, such as Epogen, […]
Stat News: Safety-net hospitals take big markups on cancer drugs for commercially insured patients, study finds
By Ed Silverman September 15th, 2021 Hospitals participating in a federal drug discount program marked up cancer medicines four times for privately insured patients, and often charged cash-paying consumers the same as commercial insurers, a practice that does not “fit the mission” of serving low-income populations, a new analysis found. CONTINUE READING…
Texas A&M Today: Hospital Outsourcing Often Prioritizes Profit Over Patients
By Leonard L. Berry and Paul Barach for The Conversation August 20, 2021 Many hospitals outsource services to specialized companies. Getty Images Hospitals have long embraced the practice of outsourcing some services to specialized companies. Much of this outsourcing is for nonclinical tasks such as laundry, information technology and cybersecurity, and outsourcing those types of […]
KHN: A Covid Test Costing More Than a Tesla? It Happened in Texas.
By Aneri Pattani September 30, 2021 When covid-19 struck last year, Travis Warner’s company became busier than ever. He installs internet and video systems, and with people suddenly working from home, service calls surged. He and his employees took precautions like wearing masks and physically distancing, but visiting clients’ homes daily meant a high risk […]
Stat News: Hospital mergers and acquisitions are a bad deal for patients. Why aren’t they being stopped?
By Elsa Pearson September 2, 2021 Contrary to what health care executives advertise, hospital mergers and acquisitions aren’t good for patients. They rarely improve access to health care or its quality, and they don’t reduce prices. But the system in place to stop them is often more bark than bite. During 2019 and 2020, hospitals […]
Healthcare Finance: About 1 in 5 hospitals mark up drug prices at least 700 percent, study finds
By Jeff Lagasse September 5, 2018 The analysis, done for PhRMA, found that 320 hospitals marked up some medicine prices more than 1,000 percent. Nearly one in five hospitals mark up medicine prices 700 percent or more, according to a new analysis from The Moran Company, prepared for The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America. […]
Burlington Free Press: Vermont state auditor touts hospital price transparency tools as key to saving money
By Dan D’Ambrosio August 30, 2021 Price transparency tools on state hospital websites will save Vermonters money on their health care, according to State Auditor Doug Hoffer. “With these new tools, Vermonters no longer have to pay just any price for medical care, they can pay the best price,” Hoffer said in a news release. […]
NPR: The Untamed Rise Of Hospital Monopolies
By Greg Rosalsky July 20, 2021 Last month, Michigan’s two largest hospital systems, Spectrum Health and Beaumont Health, announced they wanted to become one. The $12.9 billion “megamerger” would create a health industrial complex spanning 22 hospitals, 305 outpatient facilities, and an insurance company. It would employ 64,000 people, making it the largest employer in […]