Antitrust Law Daily Wrap Up, ANTITRUST NEWS: FTC to Host Public Workshop Examining U.S. Healthcare Competition, (Feb 14, 2014)

The FTC announced today that it will host a workshop on March 20-21, 2014, at its Conference Center at 601 New Jersey Ave., N.W., in Washington, DC, to examine competition issues related to certain current developments in the U.S. healthcare industry. The FTC focuses its resources to ensure that healthcare markets benefit from competition and innovation, both of which can reduce costs and increase the quality and accessibility of healthcare for consumers. The workshop is free and open to the public, and public comments are being accepted.

The healthcare industry has evolved significantly in recent years. While some changes have related to implementation of healthcare reform legislation, many other developments have reflected general and longstanding concerns about cost, quality, access, and care coordination. The proposed workshop will focus on these broader developments. The goal of the workshop is to enhance the Commission’s expertise and knowledge base regarding competitive dynamics in this critical sector of the economy, in support of the Commission’s enforcement, advocacy, and consumer education efforts.

The workshop will address five key topics related to healthcare competition, described briefly below, according to the FTC. Additional details and proposed questions can be found in the Federal Register notice announcing the event.

Professional Regulation of Healthcare Providers. The FTC has long been interested in the professional regulation of healthcare providers. The workshop will bring together experts to discuss developments relating to accreditation, credentialing, licensure, scope of practice, and the ways in which these regulatory tools may affect competition and consumers.

Innovations in Healthcare Delivery. In recent years, several new models for healthcare delivery have emerged, including retail clinics and telemedicine. Some of these models may offer significant cost savings while maintaining, or even improving, quality of care. These models may also increase the supply of healthcare services, which may expand consumer access to care. The FTC intends to consider the potential benefits of these new healthcare delivery models, as well as the impact of regulatory frameworks on their development.

Advancements in Healthcare Technology. The FTC intends to explore the potential competitive implications of recent advances in healthcare technology, such as electronic healthcare records, health data exchanges, technology platforms for healthcare payers and providers, and certain other consumer-oriented technological advances.

Measuring and Assessing Quality of Healthcare. The FTC intends to examine how recent developments in measuring and assessing health quality may impact competition and healthcare choices made by providers, consumers, and others.

Price Transparency of Healthcare Services. Improved price transparency, often in conjunction with quality information, may help consumers and others understand the actual costs of healthcare services, and may help to control costs. Some forms of price transparency, however, may facilitate price coordination among healthcare providers, thereby dampening competition. The FTC intends to explore the competitive implications of recent efforts to make price information more transparent to patients, providers, employers, payers, and other healthcare decision-makers.

The workshop will be webcast on the FTC’s site. In the near future, the Commission will publish an agenda and list of speakers on the workshop’s event web page. The deadline for submitting written comments for consideration prior to the workshop is March 10, 2014. The FTC will accept written comments on the notice and workshop discussions through April 30, 2014. Instructions about how to submit comments by mail can be found in the Federal Register notice.

News: Antitrust FederalTradeCommissionNews