North Carolina’s state Senate passed a bill this week that would exempt the UNC Health Care system from federal and state antitrust laws.
The bill could increase health care consolidation in the state by making it easier for the University of North Carolina-affiliated hospital system to acquire other health care organizations, Axios reports.
Hospital consolidation increases health care costs and does not improve care quality, research shows.
The bill passed 48-0, with two senators out on excused absences. It now moves to the state’s House of Representatives.
Aside from exempting UNC Health from antitrust policies, the policy would also change the system’s leadership structure and allow it to shift employees from state health insurance and retirement plans to a new benefits package. Read more.
