Hospital consolidation and closure is occurring at an alarming rate in Pennsylvania. It is creating healthcare deserts across the Commonwealth and affecting quality of life as communities are left without reasonable access to healthcare services.

Unfortunately, data shows that mergers and acquisitions often precede consolidation and discontinuation of services, closure of units, or even entire hospitals - especially when private equity is involved. As legislators, we must ensure that our healthcare facilities best serve our communities by keeping care accessible, attainable, and affordable.

The Attorney General’s office has limited authority to review hospital mergers but is missing many of the tools necessary to effectively oversee ill-fated mergers and financial transactions that undermine the sustainability of hospital operations and patient access to quality care. Without needed state statutes to protect the interests of healthcare patients in Pennsylvania, our state is fighting with one hand tied behind its back to combat predatory mergers and anticompetitive business practices in healthcare.

Currently, Pennsylvania relies on the Attorney General’s office to protect the interests of healthcare consumers but doesn’t provide them the tools necessary to do the work. My legislation would provide the tools the Attorney General’s office needs.

In the near future, I’ll be re-introducing legislation to provide the Attorney General’s office with the tools needed to ensure qualified, experienced, and competent operators committed to providing and maintaining access to good, quality care are acting in good faith as they enter Pennsylvania’s healthcare marketplace.