Private equity, hospital affiliations tied to higher primary care costs: 5 study notes

Becker's Healthcare January 23, 2025
Erica Carbajal

Growing shares of primary care physicians are affiliated with hospitals and private equity firms, which may be pushing up costs for primary care services, according to a new study.

Researchers from Brown University School of Public Health in Providence, R.I., analyzed data on nearly 200,000 U.S. physicians to assess shifts in hospital and private equity affiliations and their implications for prices. Using negotiated price data from Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna and United Healthcare, the researchers examined rates for office visits and assessed how ownership type affected costs.

Here are five findings from the study, published Jan. 17 in JAMA Health Forum:

1. In 2022, nearly half of primary care physicians were affiliated with hospitals, up from about...

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