Mr. Mallon said major health systems across the country have launched or plan to launch their own health plans. There are many reasons for health systems to have their own plans such as providing better population health management and IT cost containment. This is ultimately going to be a good thing for ASCs because “hospitals with health plans are more inclined to send employed physicians to ASCs,” he said.
There are many health systems with new plans, including Boston-based Tufts Medical Center and Catholic Health Partners in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Mr. Mallon said another trend is consolidation. “Consolidation has been manifesting in the for-profit sector,” he said. One example of consolidation in the for-profit arena is Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare’s merger with Nashville, Tenn.-based Vanguard Health Systems last fall.
“There has been consolidation in the ASC sector as well,” said Mr. Mallon. About 60 percent of ASCs today are independent, down from 78 percent in 2000.
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