Private equity takeover of hospitals led to rise in Medicare emergency patient deaths, says study

‘Private equity takes over things in the medical field, quality goes down, prices go up,’ said human ecology professor Martin Kenney. Photograph: Reza Estakhrian/Getty Images

Private equity acquisition of hospitals have led to an increase in deaths among emergency department patients receiving Medicare, according to a recent study published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

It is the latest in a series of recent studies illustrating that private equity acquisition of health facilities leads to worsening patient outcomes, including death.