Hospital groups cite lack of objectivity/balance in recent FTC/DOJ workshop

The AHA and four other national hospital organizations this week expressed “profound disappointment” with a two-day workshop on health care competition convened last month by the Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice. “As representatives of our nation’s hospitals, we were frankly surprised at the lack of hospital participation/representation over the two days, especially as the day began with FTC staff saying that ‘our credibility depends heavily on our industry knowledge,’” the organizations said in a letter to the antitrust agencies. “The Workshop’s apparent lack of objectivity and balance deprived policymakers of the opportunity to better understand the strides the hospital field is making in transforming the delivery of health care in response to many market factors and how various types of transactions are essential to achieve that goal. As a result, we believe that the workshop did a disservice to its stated fact-finding mission, to the entire hospital field, and to the patients whose care benefits from the changes and innovations that are occurring....We strongly urge that future health care forums allow for more balanced and comprehensive views about the transforming hospital field to be heard by seeking input from experienced hospital executives and their representatives.”