Watchdog warns of risks to patients as private equity’s stake in US healthcare grows

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New report details slew of ventures between private equity and non-profits and calls for greater government oversight A watchdog group is calling for greater government oversight of joint ventures between private equity firms and non-profit healthcare providers, arguing that the arrangements could present “risks” to “patients, payers and employees”. In a new report, Private Equity Stakeholder Project (PESP), a vocal critic of the industry, detailed more than 500 joint ventures between private equity and non-profit healthcare providers, ranging from rural hospitals to major religiously affiliated health systems to hospice care providers. The group argued those risks could include extraction of profit and a decline in quality of care. Continue reading...