Abstract

The Affordable Care Act did not start the consolidation rapidly occurring with hospitals/health systems and medical groups, but it most definitely accelerated the movement to combine. In the last five years, the number and size of consolidations have been at an all-time high. This comment reviews the degree to which consolidation has occurred and explores the key reasons behind these consolidations. It then posits that consolidations should be evaluated in light of the Triple Aim goals of enhancing access to care, reducing cost, and strengthening quality, and looks at the evidence to date in light of these goals.