This is from FierceHealthcare:

“There’s been no slowdown in the trend toward physician employment, as new data shows that hospitals acquired 5,000 independent physician practices in a 12-month period.

“Hospitals bought those practices between July 2015 and July 2016, according to data from the Physicians Advocacy Institute (PAI) and Avalere. Over the same period, the number of physicians employed by hospitals grew by 14,000, representing nearly 11% growth….

“The data show the trend toward hospital acquisition of practices continued nationwide, part of a larger movement toward consolidation in the healthcare system. But 2016 marked a tipping point for physician practices, as physician owners are no longer the majority in the U.S., according to a survey by the American Medical Association. Less than half of practicing physicians own their own practice.”

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