New research published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology examined the impact of private equity (PE) ownership on care for heart failure patients treated at hospitals acquired by PE firms. The study analyzed Medicare data from 41 PE-acquired short-term acute care hospitals and compared them with 192 matched control hospitals without PE ownership. The analysis covered over 35,000 heart failure hospitalizations at PE-acquired hospitals and more than 178,000 hospitalizations at control sites between 2012 and 2019.
Overall, the study found no significant change in 30-day mortality or rehospitalization rates for heart failure patients at PE-acquired hospitals compared to controls. However, the rate of right heart catheterization doubled at PE-acquired hospitals, rising from 0.6% to 1.2%, while rates of left heart catheterization remained unchanged. Notably, patients at PE-owned hospitals had lower average comorbidity scores, suggesting fewer clinical risks, yet outcomes did not improve accordingly. This discrepancy may indicate increased use of higher-reimbursed procedures to maximize profits despite lower patient risk.
The study also highlighted racial disparities, with Black patients at PE-acquired hospitals more likely to be transferred to other facilities compared to those at control hospitals. The authors noted this could reflect either appropriate care coordination or concerning implicit or explicit bias, particularly given socioeconomic factors such as Medicaid coverage.
These findings contribute to ongoing concerns about private equity’s growing role in healthcare, especially in cardiology, where financial incentives may influence clinical decision-making and patient experiences. Further research and policy scrutiny are warranted to ensure equitable, high-quality care for heart failure patients under changing hospital ownership.
Follow Cardiovascular Business for heart failure and healthcare policy updates.
