Market Competition
Throughout our research and advocacy efforts, we spend considerable time analyzing the anti-competitive conduct of healthcare system actors. Healthcare costs in the U.S. have soared because giant health insurers and hospital systems have exerted outsized regional and national dominance. The true impediment to improved quality and lower cost is insurance-hospital monopolies. Establishing fairer rules and checking these actors’ power would help everyone, especially patients. Moreover, independent physicians should be making healthcare decisions, rather than administrators and executives.
Insights
Our President Christopher Sheeron submitted public comments to the Federal Trade Commission in opposition to its Non-Compete Clause Rule, Matter No. P201200.
He writes, "We are very concerned about the terrible consequences this rule would have on physicians and independent medical practices, as well as the nation’s broader healthcare system. As the non-compete agreement is a critical part of most independent physician contracts – but is much less critical for hospitals – this will cause disproportionate harm to independent medical practices. As such, this non-compete rule would also ultimately negatively impact patients who rely on these independent practices.
April 19, 2023
Today, the U.S. House Judiciary Committee held a hearing entitled, “Treating the Problem: Addressing Anti-competitive Conduct and Consolidation in Health Care Markets.” This hearing was spearheaded by the Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial, and Administrative Law.
Our President Christopher Sheeron submitted an 11-page supporting document for this hearing focusing on the problem of consolidation, especially the monopolistic practices of health insurance plans and hospitals.
April 29, 2021