Private-equity firms have been buying up individual physician practices at a rapidly increasing rate over the past decade and raising prices for millions of Americans, according to a study released this week.
The rise in acquisitions by investor groups of market share in the health care industry are leading to higher treatment costs, the study showed.
When private insurers pay higher prices, this in turn contributes to high insurance premiums, which patients are then forced to pay for through out-of-pocket expenses.
The joint report, “Monetizing Medicine: Private Equity and Competition in Physician Practice Markets,” was released on July by the American Antitrust Institute, the University of California at Berkeley, and the Washington Center for Equitable Growth….