What’s happening: CHA submitted comments in response to the joint Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Justice, and Federal Trade Commission request for information on consolidation in health care markets.
What else to know: CHA’s letter highlights the value health system integration activities provide for communities served by the hospitals involved, including expanded access to care.
CHA urged the agencies to recognize the realities of operating a hospital in the current environment, with systematic underpayment by governmental payers, highly consolidated payers, costly and ever-increasing regulatory requirements, and complex billing requirements.
CHA cautioned that additional restrictions on the ability to integrate (or use the financing mechanism that best achieves the goals of integration) will come with significant losses in access to care, quality improvement, cost efficiency, consumer affordability, innovation, and disaster and pandemic response resilience.
The comment deadline was recently extended to June 5.
