Bipartisan bill takes a critical step toward holding corporate hospital systems accountable
Washington, D.C. – Hospital Watch applauds the introduction of the bipartisan Healthy Competition for Better Care Act, a measure designed to ban anticompetitive clauses in contracts between payers, healthcare providers, and hospitals.
Introduced by U.S. Senator Jon Husted (R-OH), the legislation is a critical step toward holding corporate hospital systems accountable by advancing market transparency and ending restrictive contracting practices that suppress competition and increase premiums and out-of-pocket costs for patients.
These reforms are especially urgent as corporate hospital systems continue to drive rising healthcare costs, with prices increasing faster than both inflation and workers’ wages.
“Unions and employers work hard to build and sustain our communities – only to have corporate hospitals dig deep into their pockets to increase their profits,” said Adam L. Buckalew, Senior Advisor to Hospital Watch. “Folks across the country know corporate hospitals are the top driver of healthcare spending. It’s time for Congress to hold these executives accountable for the affordability crisis.”
It’s not just federal lawmakers focused on this issue. State legislators are also combatting hospitals’ anti-competitive behavior, such as in Missouri, where elected officials are considering a proposal targeting anti-tiering and anti-steering language in hospital contracts.
Congress must act. Reining in abusive hospital contracting practices will strengthen competition and hold these corporate hospital systems accountable for the rising costs burdening Americans.
Read more about the bill here.
Hospital Watch is a watchdog group dedicated to shining a light on corporate hospitals as the top culprit in driving up U.S. healthcare costs – exposing corporate hospitals’ monopolistic practices in price gouging patients with excessive markups and hidden fees with no transparency while forcing patients and employers to pay more for their care. Hospital Watch is a project of Better Solutions for Healthcare.