About 13% more deaths occur among Medicare patients in the emergency rooms of hospitals after their acquisition by private equity, Harvard University researchers estimated. File Photo by Shou Sheng/EPA
More people appear to die in emergency rooms after hospitals have been bought by private equity firms, a new study says.
About 13% more deaths occur among Medicare patients in the emergency rooms of hospitals after their acquisition by private equity, researchers estimate in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Hospitals purchased by a private equity firm tend to cut salaries and staff following acquisition, under pressure to reduce debt and boost profits, researchers found.
These cut corners cost lives, researchers said.
