title: The new wave of hospital consolidation.
abstract: Reimbursement challenges, spiraling healthcare costs, and a slow economic recovery are driving the latest wave of hospital consolidation. Health insurance companies and provider systems are forming partnerships in the consolidation field with the goal of reducing healthcare costs and improving quality. The "cost" of the acquisition may include debt and other obligations of the acquired hospital, such as pension liabilities, along with a multiyear capital commitment.
authors.affiliation: Moody's Investors Service, New York, NY, USA. lisa.goldstein@moodys.com
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Goldstein
mesh_terms: D017598:Efficiency, Organizational / Q000191:economics; D006273:Health Facility Merger / Q000191:economics / Q000639:trends*; D017146:Models, Organizational; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D014481:United States