A new study in JAMA Health Forum raises pressing questions about the rise of private equity (PE) in gastroenterology. Analyzing more than 1.1 million patients, researchers found that PE-backed GI practices drove up colonoscopy prices and physician spending—but without improving quality measures such as polyp detection or complication rates.
With 13% of U.S. gastroenterologists now working in PE-owned groups, the specialty leads medicine in private equity penetration. Proponents argue acquisitions boost efficiency and expand access, while critics warn of physician autonomy loss and profit-driven overutilization. As consolidation accelerates, this study spotlights a central tension: are patients and payors really getting value, or just paying more for the same care?