Private equity (PE) is rapidly reshaping gastroenterology, with major PE-backed groups like GI Alliance, Gastro Health, and United Digestive now employing over 1,000 physicians. While consolidation efforts aimed to shift care away from high-cost health systems, new research suggests PE acquisitions may be driving prices back up.
A February study in Health Affairs analyzed GI practices from 2015 to 2020, finding that after PE acquisition:
- Prices per claim increased by 28.4% ($92 per claim)
- Professional fees surged by 78.1%