"A cancer patient might live in a town with four oncology groups, but only one accepts his insurance the one owned by his insurer. A young couple could see huge bills after their child is born, because their insurer agreed to the health system's rates in exchange for a contract with obstetricians across the country. A woman might have to pay a big sum she can't afford for basic lab tests at a hospital"
"inflated rates her insurer accepted so its customers have access to the system's children's hospital elsewhere in the state. And even well-insured patients receive unaffordable bills in this era of high-deductible health plans, narrow insurance networks, and 20% cost sharing. Health systems, doctor groups, and insurers are merging and coalescing into ever-bigger giants. While these mergers are good for business, studies show the escalating consolidation in health care"
Patients frequently face restricted provider options, because insurers selectively include hospitals or physician groups—often those owned by the insurer—creating network monopolies that force patients to use certain systems. Insurers accept inflated system rates to secure contracts, shifting high costs to patients through high deductibles, narrow networks, and cost-sharing. Consolidation among hospitals, doctor groups, and insurers has raised prices and reduced choice, with studies showing price increases of roughly 12.9% to 16.3% after acquisitions. Experts describe the arrangements as mutually enforced monopolization rather than competition. Market dynamics produce extreme prices for services and limited regulatory intervention has followed recent policy changes.
Read at www.twincities.com
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