California Attorney General Kamala D. Harris sent subpoenas to several large systems as part of an investigation into whether affiliation agreements between large hospital operators in California and physicians are in violation of antitrust law.
In his statement, CHA President C. Duane Dauner responded to a report of the investigation that was published last week in the Wall Street Journal. He points to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act’s initiatives for improved care coordination and new delivery models, such as accountable care organizations and patient-centered medical homes, as signals for “increasing integration.”
“The ability for hospitals, physicians and other providers to work more closely together is essential,” Mr. Dauner wrote. He also said those who criticize hospitals for their affiliations with physicians “fail to look at the demands being placed on hospitals or the expectations being created by federal and state laws.”
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