HealthLeaders Media August 2, 2019
Insurer and hospital consolidation patterns impact the quality of medical services.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Recent research shows that markets with relatively high insurer consolidation and relatively low hospital consolidation generate higher patient ratings of hospitals.
Markets with relatively high insurer consolidation and relatively low hospital consolidation generate higher patient recommendations of hospitals.
A high level of hospital competition decreases the care quality impact of high insurer consolidation.
Insurer consolidation can have a positive impact on patient experience, recent research indicates.
Earlier research has shown that decreases in hospital competition have a negative impact on quality and increase prices of medical services. In theory, as insurers consolidate hospitals may view boosting quality as a key bargaining strategy...