Parkview Hospital in Indiana is one of the most expensive hospitals in the country, despite serving the most affordable city in America.

In the last decade, Parkview Health has demanded some of the highest prices of any hospital system; for 10 of the last 13 years, Parkview hospitals have ranked in the top 10% most expensive hospitals in the country. According to Sage Transparency, Parkview is also charging privately-insured patients 335% more than what Medicare pays for care.

Parkview’s high prices result from a two-decade effort by hospital executives to dominate the Fort Wayne market and maximize revenue from patients and employers with limited alternatives.

Since the 1990s, hospital systems in the US, both for-profit and nonprofit, have aggressively pursued market power, completing nearly 2,000 mergers with minimal resistance from overwhelmed federal antitrust regulators. The American Medical Association indicated that by 2013, 97% of healthcare markets in the US lacked competition and were highly consolidated according to Department of Justice antitrust guidelines. By 2021, that number increased to 99%.

In light of these findings, it is crucial to advocate for policies that break up monopolistic practices in healthcare. The focus should be on transparency, competition, and prioritizing patient needs over profits. Better Solutions remains committed to this fight.