UNC Health and Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina announced plans earlier this week to join forces in a new clinic. This clinic fits with UNC Health’s drive to create an Accountable Care Organization (ACO), which is essentially an HMO run by a hospital and one of the big “features” of ObamaCare. I raised questions about the wisdom of this from a consumer perspective, since fewer choices for care means higher prices. The federal government is gung-ho for these organizations and is rewriting and reinterpreting anti-trust and anti-fraud laws to ease their creation and expansion.
This is all standard issue market consolidation with government approval. What makes this one different is that William Roper, whose $717,600 salary as CEO of UNC Health Systems is fifth highest among all state employees, was a vocal advocate for ObamaCare and a hero on the left. So when his hospital moves to increase its power in the Triangle market, the left is remarkably supportive and not overly concerned about consumers.
ObamaCare is creating more centralized health care organizations, making insurance and care more expensive, and putting more people on Medicaid. This is not a recipe for better access, higher quality, or lower cost. While Wasington works on repeal, Raleigh needs to resist.
