South Kingstown, R.I.-based South County Health is opposing the proposed merger between Lifespan and Care New England, both based in Providence, R.I., The Public's Radio reported Feb. 15.
South County Health CEO and President Aaron Robinson told The Public's Radio that the merger would give the systems too much power in the state.
South County hired law firm Jones Day to learn more about the effect the merger would have. On the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index, a measurement of market concentration, the proposed merger has a score of nearly 6,300 points. Anything above 2,500 points is considered highly concentrated, according to The Public's Radio.
"We think that the ills of an 80 percent monopoly certainly outweigh any proposed benefits that the parties bring forward about what would come with a merger with Care New England and Lifespan," Mr. Robinson told The Public's Radio.
The merger application was made public Dec. 30, 2021, and is pending approval by the Federal Trade Commission and the state's attorney general.
Some say the merger between the two systems and Brown University would improve healthcare in the state through an academic health system with a concentration on public health. Four unions that represent employees of the systems support the deal, The Public's Radio reported.