American hospitals have undergone substantial changes in the last quarter-century due to changes in medical technology, changes in payment policies by Medicare and other third-party payers, and new forms of competition from outpatient care and specialty hospitals. Still, the future of the hospital sector is a major issue in all discussions about the future of health policy because the hospital sector remains the largest single component of all national health expenditures (31.2 percent in 2008). Hospitals also play an important role in the economies of almost all towns and cities and are often the largest employer in a metropolitan area.

Panelists at this conference will look at recent research and analysis of the hospital market with emphasis on the changing nature of competition and the role of antitrust enforcement. The country’s leading researchers on hospital economics and legal issues will present their analysis of recent changes in the hospital sector and discuss the implications for public policy. Matthew J. Reilly, assistant director of mergers at the Bureau of Competition of the Federal Trade Commission, will deliver the keynote address on the current state of antitrust policy in the health care sector.