FTC orders health systems, insurers to provide data for COPA study

Oct 23, 2019 - 02:46 PM
ftc-announcement

The Federal Trade Commission has ordered two health systems and five health insurance companies to provide data for a study on the effects of certificates of public advantage on health care prices, quality, access and innovation; and the impact of hospital consolidation on employee wages. Specifically, FTC ordered Ballad Health, based in Johnson City, Tenn., and Cabell Huntington Hospital in Huntington, W. Va., to provide aggregated patient billing and discharge data, employee wage data and other information. It also ordered Aetna, Anthem, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, Cigna and United Healthcare to provide patient-level commercial claims data.
 
State COPA laws permit health care providers to enter into cooperative agreements that might otherwise be subject to antitrust scrutiny. In comments submitted for an FTC workshop on the issue in June, AHA said it takes no position on COPA laws, but warned that the “drive to enact COPA laws … is fueled in part, by the agency’s overly harsh treatment of efficiencies claims made by merging hospitals.”
 
Commenting on the FTC orders, AHA General Counsel Melinda Hatton said, “It is unfortunate that the FTC is adding to the cost of health care with an investigation when its own rigidity is at the heart of the attractiveness of COPAs for communities that rely on their hospitals to be there to provide essential care.”

Related News Articles

Chairperson's File
Chair File: Leadership Dialogue — The Role of Advocacy in Advancing Health Care with AHA Executive Vice President Stacey Hughes
Public
We’re at a watershed moment in health care, which gives us opportunities to strengthen how we serve patients and communities. Health care leaders must help…
Perspective
Hospitals Are Leading the Way to a Healthier America
Public
This week, more than 1,000 hospital and health system leaders came to Washington, D.C., united by a shared responsibility: to ensure every community has access…
Chairperson's File
Chair File: Supporting and Sharing the Healing Work of Hospitals and Their Care Teams
Public
More than 1,000 leaders from hospitals and health systems across the country will gather in Washington, D.C., early next week at the 2026 AHA Annual…
Headline
Webinar to share strategies on workforce relief 
The AHA will host a webinar April 16 at 1 p.m. ET featuring leaders from CHRISTUS Health and The Urology Group to share how nurse-first triage and smarter…
Headline
Mississippi 340B law upheld by appeals court in two cases
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit April 9 affirmed rulings by a Mississippi district court that rejected requests by Novartis and PhRMA to enjoin…
Perspective
At AHA’s Annual Membership Meeting, Uniting to Protect Access to Care
Public
Just 23 days from now, more than 1,000 hospital and health system leaders from across the country will arrive in Washington, D.C., for the 2026 AHA Annual…