Doing more with less isn’t new. But, for many hospitals, doing it alone is no longer sustainable. Demand for care continues to rise while labor and supply costs climb. At the same time, reimbursement rates from Medicare, Medicaid and increasingly commercial insurers lag behind inflation—leaving hospitals to bridge the gap. With the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), that gap just widened. For providers already operating on razor-thin margins, these cuts aren’t just another headwind—they’re a direct threat to access and sustainability, especially in rural and underserved areas. While hospital consolidation often draws scrutiny, the full picture deserves a closer look.
Read the full article: Ardent Health Op-Ed: The Case for Scale—Why Thoughtful Consolidation Strengthens Care //
Source: https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/providers/op-ed-case-scale-why-thoughtful-consolidation-strengthens-care