**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE** 

Contact: Vaibhav.Vijay@mail.house.gov | 771.215.7243 

Kyla.Gill@mail.house.gov | 412.841.7913

Congresswoman Summer Lee Joins Bicameral Group of Legislators in Letter Commending Inquiry Launch on Impacts of Corporate Greed on Health Care 

WASHINGTON—Today, Rep Summer Lee (PA-12) joined Senator Peter Welch, Representatives Becca Balint, Summer Lee, Mary Gay Scanlon, Pramila Jayapal, and Chris Deluzio in leading 35 of their colleagues in commending the Department of Justice (DOJ), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for opening a public inquiry into how private equity and corporate greed has affected healthcare.  

The letter states: “Private equity firms and other corporate owners are increasingly involved in health care system transactions, and, at times, those transactions may lead to a maximizing of profits at the expense of quality care. The cross-government inquiry seeks to understand how certain health care market transactions may increase consolidation and generate profits for firms while threatening patients’ health, workers’ safety, quality of care, and affordable health care for patients and taxpayers.

“Research has shown that competition in health care provider and payer markets promotes higher quality, lower cost health care, greater access to care, increased innovation, higher wages, and better benefits for health care workers.”

The members also urged the agencies to explore what they could do in the near term: “We encourage your agencies to explore ways to immediately provide consumers, health providers, state and local agencies, and the public more information about the funding and ownership structures of health care service centers. We believe increased transparency of ownership will provide greater insight into health care provider consolidation and the impact it has on health care costs, quality of care, and worker conditions.”

While the deadline for public comment has passed, the agencies have posted all comments on regulations.gov and can be read here.

Congresswoman Lee  joins her colleagues in his appreciation for these agencies’ leadership in launching this inquiry.

A full copy of the letter can be read here.

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