Hospital Mergers: The Symptoms of Anticompetitive Consolidation & A Routine Checkup on the Horizontal Merger Guidelines

Authors

Stefan Rao Kostas, Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, P.C.

Document Type

Article

Abstract

In 2021, President Biden issued an executive order that addressed the negative implications of market concentration within the healthcare industry. Specifically, President Biden called for the revision of the Horizontal and Vertical Merger Guidelines to enact antitrust safeguards that limit unchecked hospital mergers and promote competition. This Article delves into the role of the healthcare sector in the U.S. economy and how the current state of hospital mergers limits competition and, thus, the quality of care available to patients. Further, this Article studies U.S. federal regulations, case law, and merger retrospectives to uncover pitfalls within the current Horizontal Merger Guidelines. In conclusion, this Article proposes adding hospital-specific language and more context for merger efficiencies to the guidelines as a remedy for its current anticompetitive consequences.

Recommended Citation

Stefan Rao Kostas, Hospital Mergers: The Symptoms of Anticompetitive Consolidation & A Routine Checkup on the Horizontal Merger Guidelines, 31 U. MIA Bus. L. Rev. 1 (2023)
Available at: https://repository.law.miami.edu/umblr/vol31/iss1/3