Home Health & Hospice Week

FTC, DOJ, and HHS want your comments.

Three regulating bodies are launching “a cross-government public inquiry into private-equity and other corporations’ increasing control over health care,” they say in a new release — and you can weigh in.

The Federal Trade Commission, the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division, and the Department of Health and Human Services say their “inquiry seeks to understand how certain health care market transactions may increase consolidation and generate profits for firms while threatening patients’ health, workers’ safety, quality of care, and affordable health care for patients and taxpayers.”

The agencies have issued a request for information seeking public feedback on the topic by May 6.

“We are particularly interested in information on transactions in the health care market conducted by private equity funds or other alternative asset managers, health systems, and private payers, especially those transactions that would not be noticed … under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act,” the RFI notice says. Such transactions may include hospice, home health agencies, and home- and community-based services providers, among others, the agencies say.

“We are also interested in hearing directly from patients and health care workers about how their experiences in the health care system changed after a facility or other provider where they work or receive treatment or services was acquired or underwent a merger,” the notice adds.

See the notice, which includes instructions on commenting, online at www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/ pdf/FTC-2024-0022-0001-Request-for-Information-on- Consolidation-in-health-care-markets.pdf.