Sponsors
Last progress April 24, 2025 (10 months ago)
Introduced on April 24, 2025 by Victoria Spartz
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Requires the HHS Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation to run a yearly, 10-year study of health care competition and consolidation in every State. The study must collect specified market data (provider counts, mergers, licensing rules, insurance options, concentration measures), consult with the FTC and DOJ Antitrust Division, and produce annual public reports and interactive datasets.
Conduct an annual study on health care competition and consolidation at the State level for each of the 10 years following the date of enactment. The study is to be carried out by the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation of the Department of Health and Human Services.
In conducting the study, the Assistant Secretary must consult with the Chair of the Federal Trade Commission and the Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice.
The Assistant Secretary may secure from the Federal Trade Commission information necessary to enable the Assistant Secretary to carry out subsection (d)(2) (mergers and acquisitions data). Upon request, the Chair of the Federal Trade Commission shall furnish that information.
Collect data on licensing requirements for doctors, nurses, and other health care practitioners, including: initial licensure, ongoing maintenance of licensure, specific training and postgraduate and continuing medical education, residency supervisory requirements, and board certification.
Collect data on mergers and acquisitions (both vertical and horizontal) involving hospitals; ambulatory or outpatient practices; ambulatory surgical centers; health insurance providers; habilitative service providers (such as physical therapy or occupational therapy providers); and telehealth.
Who is affected and how:
State governments: Each State is the subject of the study. State-level licensing rules, regulatory structures, and market outcomes will be analyzed and reported, which could inform future state policy changes or regulatory actions. States may be asked to provide data or respond to information requests, but the law places the duty on HHS to conduct the study rather than imposing a statutory mandate on states.
Health care providers and facilities (including hospitals, physician practices, clinics): Provider counts, geographic distribution, and merger activity will be collected and published. Providers may face increased public scrutiny about consolidation and market power; data may be used by regulators or advocacy groups.
Health insurers and health plans: The study collects information about insurer participation and plan options in State markets. Findings may affect public understanding of insurer concentration and could inform regulatory or legislative responses.
Patients and consumers: Consumers benefit indirectly from improved transparency about market concentration and competition that can inform consumer protections and policy debates. The legislation does not directly change patient costs or coverage, but study results could lead to later reforms.
Federal antitrust and enforcement agencies: The FTC and DOJ Antitrust Division are required consultees; the reports and datasets provide them and other federal actors with standardized, state-level market information useful for monitoring and enforcement.
Researchers, journalists, and the public: Public, interactive datasets expand access to standardized market data, supporting independent research, media coverage, and public oversight.
Net effects and burdens: