Private Equity Hospitals Tied to Worse Pulmonary Outcomes for Seniors

Older adults hospitalized with pulmonary conditions may face worse outcomes at private equity-owned hospitals. A new analysis of Medicare fee-for-service claims from 2010 to 2019 compared 41 PE hospitals with 192 matched control hospitals.

The study focused on patients aged 65 and older with asthma, COPD, or pneumonia. For asthma, 30-day hospital revisit rates increased by 8.3 percentage points at PE hospitals versus controls. COPD revisits also rose, though by a smaller margin-0.9 percentage points.

For pneumonia, in-hospital mortality was 0.7 percentage points higher at PE hospitals. No significant changes were seen in 30-day mortality or revisits for pneumonia.

Researchers say these findings suggest declines in care quality after PE acquisition, likely tied to reduced continuity, discharge planning, or post-acute support. The data support stronger oversight of hospital privatization.