A national progressive think tank says that hospital consolidation has driven up the cost of care in Maine.
The case study by Third Way says that costs exceed the national average by 25% and are the highest in New England.
Third Way's health policy advisor Darbin Wofford says consolidation is to blame and points to MaineHealth, which owns a quarter of all hospitals in the state.
"Specifically in the Portland and southern Maine area, one health care system is dominating, and when you have that level of consolidation, they are able to set the prices that consumers are paying," he says.
The group recommends that state and federal lawmakers strengthen hospital price transparency, limit facility fees and restrict tactics that reduce competition when negotiating insurance contracts.
The Maine Hospital Association says the study mischaracterizes cost drivers in the state, which include the aging population, rural service areas and Medicare and Medicaid plans that don't cover the full cost of care.
