The "Measuring State Healthcare Freedom Act" mandates an annual study on healthcare competition and consolidation at the state level for 10 years, assessing factors like licensing, mergers, insurance options, and market concentration, with public reports to Congress.
Victoria Spartz
Representative
IN-5
The "Measuring State Healthcare Freedom Act" mandates an annual study by the Department of Health and Human Services on healthcare competition and consolidation within each state for the next 10 years. This study will analyze licensing requirements, mergers, state laws, insurance options, and the number of healthcare providers, and calculate the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index to measure market concentration. The findings will be reported to Congress and made available to the public.
Unpacking Your State's Healthcare Scene: Feds to Launch 10-Year Study on Competition & Consolidation
The "Measuring State Healthcare Freedom Act" sets the stage for a decade-long look into how competitive your state's healthcare market really is. This bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to conduct an annual study for ten years, working alongside the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ). The main goal? To collect and publicly share a comprehensive set of data on everything from hospital mergers to insurance options, aiming to give us all a clearer picture of the healthcare landscape, state by state.
Beyond the Doctor's Office: What Data Will This Study Dig Up?
So, what exactly will HHS be looking into? The bill, specifically in Section 2, outlines a pretty detailed list. They'll be collecting data on:
- Licensing requirements for healthcare professionals: This means looking at the rules for doctors, nurses, and other medical staff to get licensed and practice in each state. If you've ever wondered why it might be harder for specialists to set up shop in your area, this could shed some light.
- Mergers and acquisitions: The study will track when hospitals, outpatient practices, surgical centers, health insurers, and even telehealth services combine forces. Think about if your local independent hospital recently became part of a larger health system – this study aims to map those trends and see how common they are.
- State laws on healthcare facilities: This includes looking at state regulations around hospital mergers and the construction of new healthcare facilities, like