Hospital mergers and acquisitions have left nearly half of the metropolitan areas in the U.S. with just one or two health systems controlling all inpatient care, according to a new KFF study. Two thirds (67%) of hospitals nationwide were affiliated with health systems in 2022, up from 56% in 2010. Almost all metropolitan areas in the U.S. (97%) have highly concentrated hospital markets as defined by federal competitiveness guidelines. Hospital cost data from 2022, the most recent year available, shows that one or two health systems control the entire market for inpatient care in 47% of metropolitan areas in the country.
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Source: https://www.axios.com/2024/10/01/most-hospital-markets-consolidated