The Capitol Forum Podcast
UnitedHealth Group’s Vertical Consolidation with Hayden Rooke-Ley
Mar 10, 2025
Hayden Rooke-Ley, a Health Law and Policy Fellow at Brown University, delves into the challenging world of vertical consolidation in healthcare. He highlights how UnitedHealth Group is shaping the market through its acquisition of Change Healthcare. The conversation uncovers the troubling practices surrounding Medicare Advantage, revealing concerns about fraud and patient care implications. Rooke-Ley also discusses the antitrust challenges posed by these consolidations and critiques the current legal landscape, raising vital questions about healthcare access and competition.
55:51
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Quick takeaways
- Vertical consolidation in healthcare, especially by UnitedHealth Group, raises concerns over anti-competitive practices and higher patient costs.
- The manipulation of the Medicare Advantage program signifies a need for regulatory scrutiny and reevaluation of healthcare payment policies.
Deep dives
Consolidation in Healthcare: A Growing Concern
The podcast highlights the increasing trend of vertical integration within the healthcare sector, particularly among major insurance companies like UnitedHealthcare. This consolidation is marked by substantial acquisitions of primary care practices and other healthcare entities, transforming these companies into multifaceted conglomerates. The speaker discusses how this shift has been facilitated by various public policy decisions over the last few decades, which have allowed insurance firms to manage Medicare and Medicaid benefits. This approach has not only failed to achieve significant cost savings but has also contributed to an environment ripe for anti-competitive practices.
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