Many Metro Areas Are Dominated by One or Two Health Systems

  • Oct 11, 2024

    One or two hospitals or health systems controlled the entire market for general inpatient hospital care in nearly half of metropolitan areas in 2022, according to a recent KFF analysis.

    Based on RAND Hospital Data and American Hospital Association survey data, the analysis found that in more than four out of five metropolitan areas across the country, one or two health systems were responsible for more than 75% of all inpatient hospital discharges in their area.

    Competition can also be measured by the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI), an indicator of a market’s concentration level. Unconcentrated markets have an HHI below 1,000; moderately concentrated markets have an HHI between 1,000 and 1,800; and highly concentrated markets are those with HHIs above 1,800, according to the current merger guidelines from the Federal Trade Commission and the Dept. of Justice.

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    © 2024 MMIT
  • Jinghong Chen

    Jinghong has been producing infographics and data stories on employer-sponsored insurance, public health insurance programs and prescription drug coverage for AIS Health’s Health Plan Weekly and Radar on Drug Benefits since 2018. She also manages AIS Health’s annual executive compensation database for top insurers and Blue Cross and Blue Shield affiliates. Before joining AIS Health, she interned at WBEZ, Al Jazeera English and The New York Times Chinese. She graduated from Missouri School of Journalism with a focus on data journalism and international reporting.

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