California Attorney General Kamala D. Harris is investigating whether affiliation agreements between physicians and several large hospital operators are in violation of antitrust law, according to a Wall Street Journal report.
The investigation has been underway for several months. The AG is examining how hospitals are being reimbursed from insurers and if hospital-physician deals are giving hospitals more market power to raise their prices.
The AG sent subpoenas to San Francisco-based Dignity Health, San Diego-based Scripps Health and Sharp HealthCare, and Sacramento-based Sutter Health, among others, according to the report. Major California health insurers have also received subpoenas.
Scripps said it is cooperating with the AG's subpoena, which "appears to be related to antitrust issues" but said they did not know specifics of the inquiry. Other systems confirmed their receipt of the subpoena but did not disclose further information about the investigation.
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The investigation has been underway for several months. The AG is examining how hospitals are being reimbursed from insurers and if hospital-physician deals are giving hospitals more market power to raise their prices.
The AG sent subpoenas to San Francisco-based Dignity Health, San Diego-based Scripps Health and Sharp HealthCare, and Sacramento-based Sutter Health, among others, according to the report. Major California health insurers have also received subpoenas.
Scripps said it is cooperating with the AG's subpoena, which "appears to be related to antitrust issues" but said they did not know specifics of the inquiry. Other systems confirmed their receipt of the subpoena but did not disclose further information about the investigation.
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