Graphic of the week: Ohio has fewer independently-owned outpatient facilities than most other states

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Data from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality shows that the percentage of outpatient healthcare facilities in Ohio that are independently owned is lower than in all but five states, as illustrated above.

Only 3 in 10 Ohio outpatient facilities (31.6%) were independently owned in 2022, meaning that nearly 70% of facilities in the state had corporate or health-system ownership.

Independently owned healthcare practices have become much less common across the U.S. as health systems and facilities have rapidly consolidated and integrated in the past 25 years. Between 2002 and 2020, there were more than 1,000 hospital mergers in the U.S., with health systems often purchasing practices at different levels of care (a strategy known as vertical integration).

While these mergers can improve efficiency, research suggests they have often led to increased healthcare costs and worsened health outcomes. Additionally, the growth of corporate ownership in healthcare, including the rise of private equity acquisitions, has raised concerns about care access and quality for patients.

In recent years, many states have taken action to monitor consolidation, mergers and corporate ownership in healthcare. For example, Indiana passed legislation to increase scrutiny over healthcare transactions, while Oregon has added new restrictions on corporate ownership of practices to ensure that financial interests do not interfere with patient care.