December 06, 2021
CEPR co-director Eileen Appelbaum has become a recognized expert on how Private Equity has permeated all sectors of our economy. And nowhere is this practice more insidious than in health care. As more and more people fall into bankruptcy due to unpaid medical bills, Eileen’s research has showed that PE is the villain in many of the worst cases. She uncovered how PE firms are behind the notorious issue of surprise medical billing. These firms are buying up physician staffing firms and outsourcing emergency room staff, leading to a situation where people are charged high out-of-network physician fees even though the hospital is in-network.
Eileen welcomed passage of the No Surprises Act in December 2020. Out of network doctors will not be able to send surprise bills to patients as of January 1, 2022. As highlighted in her profile in the New Yorker, Eileen’s work was crucial in bringing the role of private equity to light. She met with policy makers, including congressional staffers working on health issues and with members of the House and Senate in response to their invitations to discuss policy options.
Her new project examines PE’s reach into home health, hospice and behavioral health. That’s right, PE has their sights set on making profits off the most vulnerable. Your donation to CEPR will help us to continue to speak out against the bad actors and to hold powerful PE firms accountable. Because no one should be able to get rich off the sick and dying.
