Vertical Integration of Specialty Physician Practices and the Association with Private Equity Acquisition of Short-Term Acute Care Hospitals

This study will examine the extent to which private equity ownership of acute care hospitals changes the dynamic between acquired hospitals and other upstream and downstream health care providers such as physician practices and post-acute care settings, and whether private equity ownership is associated with significant market-level variation in inpatient health care spending. Findings are expected to be relevant to health policy deliberations and anti-trust regulation.