Supporting Health Care Competition In The Era Of COVID-19: Three Legislative Models For States
“The COVID-19 pandemic has had profound effects on US health care markets,” write Roslyn Murray, Suzanne F. Delbanco and Jaime S. King in HealthAffairs Blog.
“As demand for office visits and elective procedures have declined, independent physician offices have suffered unprecedented revenue losses that make them vulnerable to foreclosure or acquisition by large health systems. Many independent hospitals, including safety-net and rural hospitals, likewise have sustained huge losses, and they have not received adequate support from the federal government. Funds allocated to hospitals via the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act, have been distributed mainly to large health systems with sizable amounts of cash and investment income, a relatively large share of patient revenue from private insurance, and market power.”
This article highlights “three types of state legislation that could help maintain or encourage competition in the face of provider closures and acquisitions.”
