Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Private-Equity Firms Are Gutting US Health Care Facilities, Study Says
After private-equity firms acquire hospitals, the facilities’ assets and resources diminish significantly, leaving the facilities less equipped to care for patients, according to a new study by physician researchers at the University of California at San Francisco, Harvard Medical School and the City University of New York’s Hunter College. Published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the research highlights a pattern of asset stripping at health care facilities purchased by private-equity firms, its researchers said, and is the first study to analyze the activity nationwide. (Morgenson, 7/31) Â
Nearly half of Americans with health insurance said they received a recent medical bill or a charge that "should have been free or covered by their insurance," according to a survey released Thursday. The survey, from the Commonwealth Fund in New York City, found 45% of working-age consumers last year were erroneously billed, however, fewer than half of those patients challenged their health insurance company or a medical provider about the unexpected charges. (Alltucker, 8/1)
Despite laws in states like Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware that aim to ensure people have access to affordable health care services, research shows that patients still receive unexpected medical bills and face insurance denials — and few of them choose to take action. A new national survey report released Thursday by the Commonwealth Fund shows that fewer than half of people who experienced insurance denials and billing issues actually fought the decisions. (Leonard, 8/1)
North Carolina will offer enhanced Medicaid reimbursements to hospitals that forgive medical debt and adopt policies designed to prevent further debt from accruing, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said in a press release Monday. North Carolina is one of at least 17 states, cities and counties that have passed policies attempting to erase debt or block future medical debt from increasing, according to a recent analysis from center-left think tank the Third Way. (Vogel, 7/31)
