Following recent publication in Health Affairs, HCFO-funded work led by Glenn Melnick, Ph.D., has been highlighted in several media outlets. The focus of his work, market consolidation, is related to a September 9, 2011 House Ways and Means Subcommittee Hearing on the implications of hospital mergers and acquisitions. According to blog posts the Advisory Board Company [1], Ezra Klein of The Washington Post [2], and The Incidental Economist [3], the study's chief finding--that health plan concentration can depress prices--was cited during the hearing.
Links:
[1] http://www.advisory.com/Daily-Briefing/2011/09/09/Hearing-on-hospital-consolidation
[2] http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/post/health-care-consolidation-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/2011/09/10/gIQAekebIK_blog.html
[3] http://theincidentaleconomist.com/wordpress/how-market-concentration-can-be-good/
[4] http://www.hcfo.org/topics/costs-and-cost-containment
[5] http://www.hcfo.org/topics/insurance-coverage
[6] http://www.hcfo.org/topics/legal-and-regulatory-environment