Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
FTC To Continue Efforts To Block Merger Between Two Pennsylvania Health Systems
The Federal Trade Commission has decided to continue battling a merger between Penn State Hershey (Pa.) Medical Center and PinnacleHealth System in Harrisburg despite a loss in federal court this week. (Schencker, 5/11)
In an aggressive move, the Federal Trade Commission is appealing a federal court ruling to block a merger of two healthcare providers in Pennsylvania. The FTC and state attorney general tried to block a merger between Penn State Hershey Medical Center and PinnacleHealth System that would create a four-hospital network with nearly 1,200 beds, Reuters reported Tuesday. A federal judge cleared the merger Monday, allowing it to become official as early as Friday. (Gorenstein, 5/11)
The city government and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia are planning to join forces to provide health care to South Philadelphia adults and children in a unique arrangement that might also include a new library and recreation center. (Sapatkin, 5/11)
Three Mecklenburg County nonprofit hospitals ranked in the Top 100 most profitable U.S. hospital systems, according to a recent study in the journal Health Affairs. The Top 100 hospitals each netted $63 million to $302 million from patient care in 2013, the most recent year for which data from Medicare was available. (Garloch, 5/11)
