On Friday, March 30th, the Office of the California Attorney General announced it was suing Sutter Health, the largest hospital system in Northern California, for anti-competitive practices that increase healthcare prices for Californians. The announcement and complaint that was filed both heavily cite the Petris Center’s newly released report “Consolidation in California’s Health Care Market 2010-2016: Impact on Prices and ACA Premiums.” As the Attorney General writes, “Earlier this week, Attorney General Becerra called for action in light of a new report by University of California Berkeley’s Petris Center on Health Care Markets and Consumer Welfare. The report documents how the rapid consolidation of healthcare markets in California has led to rising healthcare costs for consumers throughout the state. Market consolidation in Northern California was especially glaring. The cost of the average inpatient hospital procedure in Northern California $223,278 exceeded that in Southern California $131,586 by more than $90,000.”
You can read the press release from the Office of the California Attorney Genreal regarding the lawsuit here.
You can read the full Petris Center report here.