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... The consolidation of medical care has been accelerating, driven by hospitals and private equity firms seeking to optimize market power and payment rates. Primary care has experienced significant corporate interest due to its fragmented structure, demands for coordinated care, and a perceived opportunity for unrealized gains.

Prior studies have documented higher prices linked to hospital acquisitions of physician practices and increasing private equity activity in specialties such as dermatology and gastroenterology.

Data on the impact of private equity on primary care have been limited due to transparency issues. The introduction of Transparency in Coverage (TiC) rules requiring insurers to disclose in-network negotiated rates provided researchers with a window into the practice.

In the study, "Growth of Private Equity and Hospital Consolidation in Primary Care and Price Implications," published in JAMA Health Forum, researchers analyzed ...