ST. PAUL, Minn. — Meeting today’s deadline, Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom (CCHF) has provided valuable insights in response to the recent Request for Information (RFI) on Consolidation in Health Care Markets issued by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
In the submitted public comment, CCHF highlights the detrimental impact of third-party payment for care and flawed government policies leading to costly consolidation of the health care industry. These policies, dating back to the codification of employer-sponsored coverage and the enactment of government-funded coverage, such as Medicaid and Medicare, have led to the dominance of large health care institutions that prioritize profits over patients.
Twila Brase, RN, PHN, President and Co-founder of CCHF, emphasizes the urgent need for a shift towards patient-centered, market-driven health care. “Government policies have facilitated the consolidation of our health care system, prioritizing corporate interests over patient well-being,” says Brase.
While CCHF proposes two potential solutions – reversing decades of detrimental policy decisions or establishing a parallel free-market health care system – its comments express skepticism regarding government agencies’ willingness to adopt a free-market approach: “It is the independent doctor and staff striving to go free that will solve the problem that elected officials and bureaucrats have spent 80 or so years putting into place.”
CCHF issues a warning against the perpetuation of government-induced consolidation, citing its adverse effects on health care accessibility and affordability for Americans. Nonetheless, with the health care landscape evolving and the parallel system growing, CCHF wishes the agencies “all success” in this important endeavor.
Media Contact: For further inquiries or interviews with Twila Brase, RN, PHN, please contact Kristin Matheny at media@cchfreedom.org or 651-382-6158.
